Editorial digest

Components combine
with manufacturing
technique for quality
SSL fixtures
Developing and manufacturing LEDbased solid-state lighting (SSL) systems is
a multidisciplinary art where electronics,
packaged LEDs, optics, and thermal elements
are sculpted on advanced manufacturing lines
to yield great lighting products. This digest will
span the gamut of the technologies that go into
top-performing products.

sponsored by:

Moldable
optical silicones
enable LEDs

12 

Aluminum
extrusions
match SSL
thermal needs

20

Challenges of
matching SSL
and control
technology

32 

COB LEDs
simplify
SSL
manufacturing

* This article was published in the October 2012 issue of LEDs Magazine.

Moldable optical silicones

enable LED lamps and
luminaire designs
Silicone materials can withstand high heat and
help deliver higher lumen density in SSL product
designs while simplifying the manufacturing process
and enabling more complex architectures.

oldable silicones are emerging as a viable option in LED-

based product designs for use as secondary optics, light pipes, light
guides, and other optical components. Indeed new formulations
designed specifically for solid-state lighting offer the ability to
withstand high temperatures associated with the LED semiconductor junction
with no optical degradation.
The material can also be
molded into complex shapes
offering great flexibility to the
product developer.

The global lighting

market is on the verge
of a transformation as
LEDs increasingly replace
conventional light sources.
According to analysts at
research firm McKinsey &
Company, the market for
LED lighting will explode at
30% per annum to exceed

Fig. 1. Moldable

silicones enabled a design by LEDiL, a

leading optics supplier, to incorporate secondary optics that
integrate dual functions the optics shape the light and seal
the electronics against water ingress.

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

$81 billion by 2020, when it will

represent close to 60% of the overall
lighting market.
Such projections are supported
by the accelerating adoption of
LED technology in more and more
general lighting applications,
ranging from low-power, low-lumen
fixtures like downlight replacements
where LEDs are increasingly
replacing low power compact
fluorescent lamps and halogens to
more challenging applications like
street lights, industrial lighting,
office lighting, high power halogens
or illumination of sport venues. As
LED-based light sources further
penetrate applications that demand
Fig. 2. Moldable silicones performed well in tests that
higher lumen density and power,
compared their thermal and optical stability against
conventional materials, such as PC, acrylic and
physics will demand they operate
epoxy.
at higher temperatures even as
lamp and luminaire designers seek
to reduce the number of LEDs, or pack the LEDs closer in order to develop sources
that are comparable or smaller in size than previous generation devices.
At the same time, LED designers are innovating modules, lamps and luminaires
that integrate multiple functions into fewer parts (Fig. 1), or that incorporate
smaller or more complicated features. LED manufacturers are seeking new
materials that accelerate productivity, deliver higher yields particularly for
larger parts or reduce waste.
New materials

All of these challenges effectively represent growing pains for an emerging

lighting segment that is quickly evolving past its early-generation designs and
materials. In response, the industry is exploring new materials, such as silicones
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

WHAT MAKES THIS

LED DRIVER
DIFFERENT

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Renowned Crestron performance and reliability

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major market around the globe

DALI or 010V dimmable to 0.1%

Ask us about our complete line of wired and

wireless dimming controls, including DALI ballasts

All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered
trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their
products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. 2013 Crestron Electronics, Inc. AD2013_10

crestron.com/lighting

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

that, while less familiar in LED applications, bring a rich history of proven
performance in dozens of other industries, including advanced electronics,
automotive and communications. Silicones address several of the challenges
posed by next-generation LED designs, including the ability to withstand higher
temperatures, support higher lumen density, enhance manufacturability and
enable more complex designs. Like LEDs, silicones are evolving too. Recently, several
leading optical and LED manufacturers have been putting a new class of opticalquality moldable silicones to the test in their designs, and seeing positive results.
While some grades of silicone are transparent, moldable silicones such as
those recently introduced by Dow Corning represent a more advanced material
engineered expressly for LED applications, which is to say they compare
well in performance against todays best-in-class optical materials. Plus, like
conventional silicone materials, moldable silicones exhibit low viscosity before
cure, enabling them to be molded more easily into complex shapes than either
organic polymers or glass, offering new design options for secondary lenses,
light pipes, light guides and other optical components. This quality can also
help reduce manufacturing costs and cycle times in injection molding and other
processes, and potentially reduce system costs for LED-illuminated lamps and
luminaires. Lastly, compared to many organic materials, the chemical backbone
of silicones makes them particularly well suited to manage the increasingly high
temperatures of todays and tomorrows LED lighting systems.
Hotter LED designs
High-heat applications are where moldable silicones shine. As a class of highperformance materials, they easily withstand temperatures of 150C and higher
without significant loss of optical or mechanical performance. These qualities
will become more attractive as LED sources increasingly deliver more intense
white light from comparatively smaller package sizes, and as customers seek
smaller lamps and luminaires with higher luminous flux, which will also drive up
temperatures at the device level.

As lumen densities increase, the package temperatures within todays highbrightness LEDs are already reaching as high as 150C. This not only poses
challenges for epoxy encapsulants conventionally used to seal LED packages,
it is also raising heat exposure for traditional secondary optics materials such
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

as polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic. In general, the optical quality of these plastic
materials declines over time at temperatures above 125C and 95C, respectively.
The same applies to epoxies at temperatures above 150C.
Such high temperatures cause traditional optical materials used in LED lighting
systems to yellow with age, which diminishes the total system light output. This
can have a profound impact on lumen maintenance and efficiency dropping the
expected 80% lumen output below acceptable levels earlier than the expected
50,000 hours of an LED light sources useful lifetime. Further, yellowing can
adversely change an LEDs color temperature over time. Such shifts in a light
sources color are unacceptable to lighting designers and end-users alike.
In comparison to conventional materials, moldable silicones retain their excellent
optical stability and transparency even after prolonged exposure to temperatures
upwards of 150C, exhibiting comparatively little or no yellowing and greater
reliability across the visible spectrum. Indeed, this emerging class of silicones
enables LED optical components to maintain their lumen output and efficiency
better over the course of an LEDs useful lifetime.
Thermal testing
Thermal aging tests performed by Dow Corning in an air-circulating oven
at 150C for up to 10,000 hours demonstrated that silicones high optical
transmission remained steady ranging from 90-95% in the visible spectrum
under such conditions. Moldable silicones also retained their high performance
for other optical qualities during aging under high heat, including reflection, low
haze and stable refractive index.
Moldable silicones also stood up well in related tests that compared their thermal
and optical stability against conventional materials, such as PC, acrylic and
epoxy. Thermally aged for 200 hours at 150C, moldable silicones retained their
high optical quality (Fig. 2). In contrast, incumbent organic materials exposed
to identical conditions began to show significant yellowing as temperatures
exceeded 125C.

The outstanding thermal and optical stability of moldable silicones may be

enough to inspire new LED designs. These materials can help resolve issues such
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

as glare control while maintaining efficiency, color temperature stability and

performance over time. But in addition to this, silicones low viscosity before
cure further enables designers to consider LED components with more complex
shapes, thinner wall configurations, dual functions or very fine features.
Silicone structures
Structures like undercuts, for instance, are difficult to easily achieve with plastics
because they cannot be easily released from the mold. Fabricating parts that
adjoin thin- and thick-wall sections is also more challenging with plastic, which
is more brittle and therefore more prone to cracking or breaking. Lastly, designs
that use plastic materials typically keep them away from the heat of the LED light
source, which precludes configurations that shift plastic optics closer to or even
touching the LED.
Like conventional silicones, optical-grade silicones are well-suited to precision
molding applications. Before cure, the viscosity of silicones decreases as heat
increases. This allows silicone resins to be injected into a mold at lower pressures
than what is typical for other materials, while still achieving good flow and
reproduction. For example, their low viscosity enables replication of micrometersized features on a lens surface that, in turn, offers advantages in enhancing,
focusing or directing light output.
In short, the physical properties of moldable silicones enable new designs that
would be otherwise very challenging to achieve with incumbent materials,
allowing for the exploration of new shapes, styles and sizes of LED lighting, as
well as new applications.
Fabrication techniques

Silicone-based components can be fabricated using a variety of techniques,

including injection molding, casting/cavity molding and others. While naturally
very flexible, their hardness may be tuned to either absorb vibration or deliver
excellent impact resistance. With their low moisture uptake and ability to
withstand harsh environmental effects, conventional silicones are already
frequently used by the electronics industry to protect fragile components against
damage. Moldable optical silicones deliver many of the same advantages.

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

Shrinkage is another familiar challenge for plastics that is not as much of a

problem for moldable silicones, which need not be cooled in the mold as long as
plastic in order to prevent warping. This helps reduce cycle time particularly for
large parts which is important since the length of time that a part must remain
in the machine can represent an important portion of its total cost, depending on
the mold, optical part design and process factors mentioned above. In addition,
the comparatively low shrinkage of moldable silicones helps minimize or prevent
warping in components that integrate straight sections, such as the back of
semispherical optics.
The design and manufacturing advantages of moldable silicones cannot be
overstated because they allow issues to be solved early in the LED design chain. A
finished LED lamp might incorporate over ten different silicone-based components,
including adhesives, pottants, secondary optics and encapsulants (Fig. 3). Silicones
are well known for addressing challenges at the package level, and as LEDs
penetrate into general lighting those challenges will become more common.
Optics example
Referring back to Fig. 1, LEDiL, a leading optics supplier to the worlds lighting
manufacturers, recently demonstrated this with the development of its
innovative Strada-FT-TPHS lens module. The product of a collaboration between
LEDiL, Dow Corning and other suppliers, the module features secondary optics
comprising an asymmetric lens fashioned from Dow Cornings moldable silicones.
Notably, LEDiLs application of moldable silicone technology enabled the
secondary optics to perform dual functions. In addition to creating an
asymmetric forward-throw light distribution pattern, the secondary optics also
provide ingress protection (IP) for the LED package. By using the lens material as
a seal against outside dust and moisture, LEDiL was able to reduce the overall
number of parts and address a challenge that would normally have fallen to
its luminaire customers further down the design chain. Namely, its customers
would have had to seal the entire luminaire.

Moldable silicones enabled further design features for the module, such as an
undercut, and thermal and optical stability from -45o C to 150oC to prevent
yellowing over the course of the modules lifetime. Neither these features nor
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

the secondary optics dual

functionality would have been
easy or even possible using
plastics, underscoring the
versatile design possibilities
that moldable silicones offer.
The performance demands
may vary wildly between
one LED design and another
in todays evolving lighting
industry. But moldable
silicones are finding
application at every level of
the LED design chain at other
top optical suppliers and
lighting designers. Further,
Dow Corning is continuing
to seek new industry
partnerships to develop
innovative new applications
for moldable silicones.

10

In terms of performance,
moldable optical silicones
Fig. 3. A finished LED lamp might incorporate over ten different
combine and often exceed the
silicone-based components, including adhesives, pottants,
best qualities of both organic
secondary optics and encapsulants.
polymers and glass. As demand
for LED lighting accelerates over the next decade, moldable optical silicone materials
will play a major role in the development of new high-performing LED light sources,
and help expand design and processing options for LED lamps and luminaires.
Their good thermal stability, moldability and mechanical properties offer benefits
at virtually every stage of the LED value chain solving challenges to sealing,
protecting, adhering, and shaping light. With the addition of their attractive optical
qualities, moldable silicones can address design issues such as diffusion and glare
control, color temperature variation and performance over time. Moldable silicones
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Moldable optical silicones enable LED lamps and luminaire designs

offer the potential to advance the adoption of LED lighting, drive down cost and
help expand the technology into new markets, such as general and accent lighting
for home, office and retail spaces, traffic lights and other outdoor lighting, mobile
devices and automotive interior lighting. Silicone-based LED lighting could especially
benefit applications that require a cool touch and environmental toughness.

Hugo da Silva is Global Market Manager for Lighting at Dow Corning, Lighting
Solutions. Based in Belgium, da Silva leads the optical, thermal and protection
business for solid state lighting devices such as LED, OLED and innovations
related to lamps, modules and luminaires applications.

11
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

* This article was published in the April 2013 issue of LEDs Magazine.

Aluminum extrusions match

SSL thermal management
needs in many applications
Design teams working on LED-based lighting
products must consider aesthetics, cost, and
quality when considering thermal elements of a
design, but thermal performance is paramount.

ith LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) technology

revolutionizing the lighting industry, new opportunities for

lighting products are appearing everywhere from residential
to commercial to street lights. However, the dirty little secret
of LED technology is that it presents a thermal management challenge that is
significantly different, and hotter, than any challenge ever presented by legacy
light bulbs. Conducting heat away
from the LED junctions is a requisite
for long product life and consistent
lumen and color maintenance.
There are many material and
manufacturing choices for thermal
management, and aluminum
extrusions can serve in a broad set of
applications.

12

Architects, lighting designers, and

other specifiers are demanding
fixtures and enclosures that offer great
looks, options for both finish and color,
as well as structural integrity. Design

Fig. 1. The

CFD analysis of a heat sink shows the heat

source in the center of the heat sink (yellow). The heat
dissipates away from the source (green to blue to purple).

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

engineers are attempting to provide the above, while dealing with the thermal
management issue. Lighting manufacturers want to deliver all of the above, but
in cost-effective products.
The benefits of LEDs are well accepted at this point: higher-quality light, greater
energy efficiency, and
lower maintenance
costs, thanks to the
long life span of
the bulbs. However,
thermal management
continues to be a
challenge. The heat
generated by LEDs is
Fig. 2. The thermal conductivity of aluminum varies with the heat sink
detrimental not only
manufacturing process.
to the life of the bulb,
but also to the quality
of the light. Engineers are now challenged with developing products that not only
look great, but also solve the thermal management problem.
The thermal challenge
The objective of thermal engineers is to remove the heat from the source and
dissipate it into the surrounding atmosphere, as far from the electronics and as
fast as possible. The lighting industry prefers to use passive thermal-management
products such as heat sinks as opposed to active thermal-management
techniques. Typically, active thermal management equates to the addition of
a device to assist in moving air over the heat sink, often a fan. Moving air can
increase the effectiveness of a heat sink or even enable the use of a smaller heat
sink in some applications. However, active elements can increase cost, add noise,
and/or decrease system reliability.

13

Engineers typically use the light-fixture or enclosure materials to assist in

transferring the heat. Most materials have the ability to conduct heat, some
better than others. This ability is also referred to as thermal conductivity and is
measured in watts per meter kelvin (W/mk).

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Now, you No loNger have

to be afraid of the dark.
Introducing LED Compatible Products From Henkel
LED lighting device manufacturers have experienced compatibility problems
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Henkel is the first manufacturer to provide a comprehensive offering of LED
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Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

Fig. 3. A

CFD analysis shows a comparison of temperature between similar die-cast (left) and
aluminum-extrusion (right) heat sinks. The extruded product realizes a 23% reduction in maximum
temperature.

Different materials offer a broad range of thermal conductivity. For example,

diamonds have a very high level (typically 2200 W/mK), but are obviously too
expensive for use in lighting applications. Copper has a decent level of thermal
conductivity (typically 390 W/mK), but has two significant drawbacks compared
to aluminum copper weighs approximately three times more than aluminum
and typically costs up to five times as much. Aluminum doesnt conduct heat
quite as well (237 W/mk maximum), but offers the weight and cost advantages
that are important in many SSL applications.
Computational fluid dynamics
To assist in determining the proper thermal management solution, engineers
typically work with specialized software that models the products and their
thermal characteristics. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate
the thermal conductivity of the product and finite element analysis (FEA)
examines the structural integrity of the component. An example of CFD is shown
in Fig. 1. There are numerous variables in each product that are dependent on
product size, shape, and application (indoor versus outdoor, for example). By
combining FEA and CFD along with the variables, it is possible to design the
most cost-effective product that meets the needs of both the design engineer and
thermal engineer.

15

Historically, aluminum has been the material of choice for thermal management
applications in the lighting industry. The variable has been whether the
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

aluminum is cast or extruded. LEDs, however, have resulted in new thermal

challenges and also diversity in SSL product form factors that can require new
thermal approaches. In response, the lighting industry has started to use thermoplastics and graphite in certain thermal management applications.
Through the remainder of this article, we will review the four materials and
manufacturing process combinations that are most often utilized to address the
thermal management challenge in LED fixtures. The candidates are:
Aluminum extrusions,
Aluminum castings,
Injection-molded thermo-plastics, and
Molded graphite.
There are certain designs, applications, or conditions where each one of these
materials/processes makes sense.
Extrusions vs. castings
Aluminum extrusions and aluminum castings are most often used in LED
thermal management. Sapa alone provided millions of pounds of extrusions to
the lighting industry in 2012. That growth is being driven by improving thermal
efficiency, design flexibility, and the cost advantages of aluminum extrusions
versus castings, proof that many designers are discovering that aluminum
castings are not the solution for the majority of the applications.
There are several types of castings used in the lighting industry. For lower volume
applications, such as specialized street lights, sand castings are the product of
choice. Other types of castings include permanent-mold castings, which are used
for mid-volume applications, such as standard industrial or warehouse lighting
applications. Finally, die castings are used for high-volume applications, such as
lights sold through retailers.

16

When considering the associated costs, sand castings have the lowest tooling
costs, which typically fall within the $5,000 to $10,000 range and offer the highest
piece price. Pricing for permanent mold castings typically ranges from $15,000 to
$30,000. Piece part pricing for both sand and permanent mold products are highly
dependent on the amount of secondary machining required.
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

Fig. 4. Samples

of extruded-aluminum heat sinks show the

flexibility of the manufacturing process.

Die castings have lower

piece prices compared
to both sand and
permanent-mold castings
and usually require
the least amount of
secondary operations,
however tooling can
range from $50,000
to $100,000. Injectionmolded tooling costs are
similar to those of diecasting tooling.

All forms of aluminum cast tooling have a specified life expectancy after
which tooling needs to be replaced. By comparison, tooling for a large extrusion
generally falls within the $5,000 to $7,500 range, and aluminum extruders
typically cover all replacement tooling costs, giving extrusions a cost advantage
over castings.
Thermal conductivity
In terms of thermal conductivity, there is a clear advantage to using extrusions
over castings. Aluminum extrusions can be 53% more efficient than castings
because they contain a higher level of thermal conductivity. The collective
conductivity of the types of castings referenced above is typically within the
120140-W/mK range, while the conductivity of aluminum extrusions is typically
within a much higher 200215-W/mK range. Fig. 2 shows the comparative
thermal conductivities of pure aluminum, extruded alloys, and cast alloys.

17

Numerous lighting companies have found out the hard way that sand, mold, and
die castings can be less efficient than aluminum extrusions. The nature of the
casting process creates problems with gas porosity. If the porosity is near the
area generating the heat, the porosity acts as an oven, holding the heat in that
area, which will then reduce the life of the LED. This is especially a problem with
foreign casters who may have lower quality procedures and standards. Porosity is
not an issue with the aluminum extrusion process.
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

You can easily use CFD analysis to compare similar aluminum die castings and
aluminum extrusions. Fig. 3 shows such a review, illustrating that the extrusion
process allows the fins of the extrusion to be designed without draft, which is
required for die castings. This fact allows for the longer fins in the extrusion
that provide additional surface area. In general, the greater the surface area,
the greater the natural convection of the heat into the surrounding atmosphere.
The combination of the extrusions increased surface area and higher thermal
conductivity over die casting results in a 23% reduction in the maximum
temperature.
The increase in thermal conductivity of extrusions versus castings allows
the lighting manufacturer to use less material to obtain the same thermal
efficiency. Less material plus a smaller footprint usually equates to lower total
costs. Additionally, high-volume CNC machining allows extruders to machine in
features in a cost-effective manner. Another design advantage to extrusions is
that the process allows for a superior surface finish, which can be anodized in
numerous colors, bright-dipped, or painted any color (Fig. 4).
With extrusions, there is also more flexibility in terms of size. Extruders can
create products upwards of 21-inches wide and offer fin ratios of 19:1. Two
methods of providing wider products include a snap-fit design, which is often
used for enclosures or boxes, and a technology called friction stir welding, which
allows extruders to join two or more pieces of aluminum together with no filler
material. Sapa has used this technology to hermetically seal an extrusion by
welding a cover on the top, which can be particularly useful in industrial lighting
applications where the fixtures need to be explosion resistant.
Injection-molded thermo-plastics and graphite
There are some situations in which aluminum castings, and injection-molded
thermo-plastics or graphite do have advantages over extrusions. Typically, they
are small applications where the heat sinks need to be attached to the bulb, often
in the case of retrofitting legacy products. Although an extrusion could provide
a better thermal management solution, the machining to create the contour is
slightly more expensive than the as-cast/molded product.

18
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal management needs

Injection-molded thermo-plastic products and graphite are legitimate options if

weight is a factor and limited structural integrity is acceptable. Overall, these
options provide limited mechanical properties and have size limitations. Retrofit
lamps are an example of a product that successfully uses aluminum die castings,
injection-molded thermo-plastic products, and molded graphite as the heat sink.
An optimum LED enclosure design should be developed with the help of
engineers that specialize in thermal and quality disciplines. Extrusion engineers
can provide in-depth thermal analysis and also design an extrusion to
simplify the manufacturing process. This allows for working directly with the
manufacturer, from design to finishing, for a customized approach to thermal
management that exactly matches application requirements.

Steve Jackson is the Business Development Manager of Thermal Management

at Sapa Extrusions North America (www.sapagroup.com/na).

19
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

* This article was published in the July/August 2013 issue of LEDs Magazine.

Matching SSL and control

technology remains a challenge
Lighting specifiers should consider the state
of the industry for LED dimming and control
in order to find the paths for success.

he rapid adoption of LED light sources is rooted in energy savings,

long life, and new fixture options that enable them to be used in almost
any application. They are highly efficient; deliver a useful lifetime
averaging 50,000 hours; and offer very good color rendering. LED lamps
also emit very little infrared (IR) radiation and contain no mercury. Despite these
clear advantages, issues of compatibility between LED lamps, drivers, and controls
continue to cause confusion for
specifiers and their customers.
If they are paired improperly,
performance will suffer.

20

The best strategy for selecting an

LED product is a holistic approach
that takes into consideration
a variety of factors including
the application type, required
dimming performance, and
control requirements. MockFIG. 1. There is a linear relationship for dimming level
up installations and expensive,
and consumed power with LED lighting.
time-consuming testing may
be necessary before customers
are confident that the proposed lighting system is the best choice. Many LED
component and control manufacturers are investing more time and effort into
LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

dimming testing and research, and can provide compatibility information to

ensure successful LED lamp, driver, and control installation.
Looking beyond baseline efficiency
LEDs are energy efficient by design. Simply using LED lamps or fixtures can help
a facility meet updated building and energy codes while reducing electricity
consumption and cost. So why worry about dimming your LEDs? For the same
reason you control any light source: to maximize energy savings, extend system
life, enhance flexibility, increase productivity, and provide a safe, comfortable
environment for building occupants. Additionally, many energy-efficiency
standards are being updated to mandate more sophisticated lighting control
strategies, effectively mandating dimming in many applications.
A wide range of controls are available from a single switch or dimmer to a
centralized lighting control system to provide maximum flexibility, as well
as measurement and reporting tools to help you effectively analyze the energy
savings being achieved with the lighting and control installation. Sophisticated,
configurable systems can allow tuning of spaces based on actual occupant usage
post-installation, which over time can allow lower energy densities that surpass
design goals. Furthermore, easy-to-install wireless controls facilitate simple
retrofits, reducing installation and programming costs, and improving return on
investment (ROI).
Regardless of the control system you choose, it is critical to work with a
manufacturer who can guarantee compatibility and performance with the
desired LED loads, eliminating many of the common concerns and issues that are
seen with LED installations. Lets discuss why and how to implement dimming in
more detail.
Maximize savings and system life

21

Dimming LEDs saves energy at a roughly 1:1 ratio, which matches or even
exceeds the energy reduction of dimming fluorescents. This means that if you
dim LEDs down to 50% of their light output you save nearly 50% of the associated
energy use (Fig. 1). While it is true that LEDs are already very efficient compared
to almost any other light source, you save even more energy by dimming them.

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

Dimming LEDs also makes

them run cooler, extending
the life of the electronic
components in the driver,
as well as the phosphor
in the LEDs. This will
potentially double or triple
the useful life of the LED
lamp or module. Research is
ongoing to better quantify
the relationship of dimming
LEDs and lifetime extension.
Still, you must choose the
fixture, driver, and control
combination to meet project
needs. LEDs are making great
strides, and LED products
now exist for replacing
virtually any fixture type
including general-purpose
lighting, downlights, cove
lights, and outdoor lighting.
FIG. 2. The human eye perceives much higher light levels than the
actual output from dimmed sources.
The type of control you
choose will depend on the
results you want to achieve. For example, in a lobby or atrium, a 20% minimum
dimmed light level is typically acceptable. But in a conference room or restaurant,
very low levels of light dimmed down to 1% are often desirable.

23

It is all too easy to neglect the importance of LED dimming range. While 10%
dimming may sound appropriate for most applications, our eyes are sometimes
too smart for their own good. Due to the dilation of the pupil in the human eye,
lower light levels are perceived as brighter than expected. For example, a 10%
light level appears to be about 33%. Even 1% dimming is perceived as a 10% light
level (Fig. 2).

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

The expected dimming range should always be part of the product specification,
but it is not always provided by the manufacturer. Furthermore, even for a given
LED load, the dimming range may vary depending on the control used. Designers
and specifiers need to be aware of the low-end light level that can be achieved
with the proposed LED load and control combination.
If all the parts and pieces are not carefully evaluated, the result can be dimmable
products that do not work as claimed. For example, you can end up with lights
that never turn off
completely, or that flicker,
pop on, or drop out, leaving
the end user with the
perception that dimming
LEDs does not always work.
Challenges of dimming
It is generally recognized
that LEDs are inherently
dimmable and controllable,
FIG. 3. LED lamps have integral drivers that limit control options.
so why are there so
many challenges with
dimming them? It is the result of the physical differences between LEDs and their
predecessors including incandescent and halogen lamps.
Incandescent lamps create light by heating a tungsten wire to high temperatures
in a low-pressure glass envelope, causing it to glow white hot. Electrically
speaking, these are very simple devices the more voltage delivered to the
source, the hotter it got, and the more light it produced. With legacy sources the
shape of the voltage waveform really didnt matter. AC, DC, phase cut, or nearly
any other form would provide the same amount of light for the same RMS voltage.

24

LEDs behave very differently. Light is produced by subatomic processes in

specially designed semiconductor materials. For a given LED device, the amount
of light generated is proportional to the amount of current (not voltage) passed
through the device. Furthermore, the current can flow in only one direction
through an LED, meaning they can only tolerate DC current. (Note that so-called
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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

FIG. 4. Luminaires

often allow the specifier to choose a driver with the desired adaptive controls.

AC LEDs rely on tricks such as two diodes that are wired such that current flows
through some diodes in one direction, and other diodes in the other direction.)
Finally, LEDs are inherently low-voltage devices, typically requiring a large
reduction in voltage from the mains wiring. These functions reducing the
voltage, regulating it to DC, and controlling the current are all handled by a
device called an LED driver.
LED drivers come in a variety of designs, constructions, and feature sets.
One thing they have in common is that they do not have the same electrical
properties as an incandescent load, and this difference is essentially the root
cause of compatibility challenges between controls and LEDs.
Different manufacturers drivers prioritize different requirements. Some may
optimize for cost, some for size, some for lifetime, and so on. Part of the design
of the driver determines how well, and how low, it will dim, and using what
controls. This fact leads to two important conclusions:
The design of the driver determines the best possible dimming performance that
can be achieved.
The compatibility of the driver with the control determines how well the driver
will achieve this performance.

25

In essence, even the best control cannot make an LED lamp dim beyond its design
parameters. Both poor driver design and improper pairing with a control can lead

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

to undesired aesthetic performance, including flicker, drop-out, dead travel, or

acoustic noise (buzzing).
Additionally, poor driver design and control pairing can lead to reduced lifetime
of the control or load. A good driver will guarantee smooth, continuous dimming
to very low light levels on a wide variety of controls with no negative impact
on lifetime, matching the dimming performance that people expect from
incandescent lamps. Few driver manufacturers in the industry today can reliably
make this claim.
Ensuring expected performance
In order to properly align customer expectations with LED system performance,
several factors need to be considered during the course of designing an LED
project:
the load type (retrofit lamp or fixture)
the required control type
the number of loads allowed on a control
the dimming performance of the load and control combination
For assistance, look for trusted manufacturer resources that can assist you with
the selection process, such as the LED Control Center of Excellence offered by
Lutron Electronics. Lets discuss the factors in more detail.
LED light sources come in two basic types: retrofit lamps (sometimes called
screw-in lamps or LED lamps), and LED fixtures (Figs. 3 and 4). Different
applications call for different solutions, but from the perspective of dimming
compatibility, there is one major distinction. LED retrofit lamps have a fixed
driver built into the lamp that can only be controlled via phase-cut dimming,
while LED fixtures can offer a selection of drivers, available at specification time,
which may provide a range of dimming performance and compatible controls.

26

If retrofit lamps are being used, even a proven lamp and control combination will
max out performance at the lamps published capability. Improved performance
may require selection of a different lamp, perhaps from a different manufacturer.
With fixtures, most manufacturers offer a range of drivers, which allows

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

selection of the dimming performance in advance, without affecting the aesthetic

or optic performance of the fixture.
For general-purpose illumination, there are four predominant control methods
available:
forward-phase control
reverse-phase control
010V analog control
digital control (DALI or EcoSystem)
Each of these methods has strengths and weaknesses, making some more
suitable for certain
applications than others.
However, lighting designers
and specifiers often select
a fixture or control system
without a full understanding
of the ramifications of
that selection when it
comes to LED and control
compatibility. Note that while
other control schemes exist,
including DMX or direct
FIG. 5. Forward phase-cut dimmers eliminate the voltage
wireless control to lamps or
during the initial part of each half cycle of the AC line.
fixtures, these methods are
not widely used in todays
general-purpose lighting applications.
Forward phase

27

By far the most commonly used dimmer today, forward-phase controls are
dominant around the world and 150 million are estimated to exist in North
America alone. Thus, many LED loads claim compatibility with forward-phase
dimmers. Forward-phase dimmers cut, or turn off, the front part of the 60
Hz, 120V (in North America) mains voltage sine wave (Fig. 5). The cut supply
effectively reduces the RMS voltage delivered to the fixture. The more of the

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

sine wave that is cut off, the

lower the voltage, and the less
energy the load uses. This
method is extremely common
because it is easy, generally
inexpensive, and uses the
xisting wiring to the fixture.
The recently released NEMA
SSL7-A standard helps
define the proper behavior
of forward-phase dimmers
and LED loads to ensure
FIG. 6. Reverse phase-cut dimmers cut the voltage at the end of
each half cycle.
reliable operation; it also
provides a basic expectation
of performance. LED loads and controls marked as SSL7 compliant should remove
much of the guesswork associated with compatibility for this control type.
Reverse phase
Reverse-phase dimmers operate much the same way as forward-phase dimmers
do. They reduce the RMS voltage going to the load by cutting off part of the sine
wave. However, unlike forward-phase dimmers that remove the front part of the
sine wave, reverse-phase dimmers remove the back portion of the sine wave (Fig.
6). Like forward-phase dimmers, this reduces the RMS voltage to the fixture and
uses the existing wiring.
This method was originally developed for control of electronic low voltage (ELV)
transformers with low-voltage halogen lamps. These loads make up a much
smaller portion of the market than their line-voltage counterparts. Therefore,
reverse-phase dimmers are much less common than forward-phase dimmers.
Only a small percentage of installed dimmers are compatible with ELV loads.
However, due to the electrical similarities between ELV transformers and LED
drivers, several driver manufacturers design their drivers to work exclusively
with reverse-phase dimmers.

28
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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

Analog 010V control

In contrast to the previous methods that rely strictly on existing wiring, the
analog 010V scheme requires an additional pair of low-voltage wires to be run
from the control to each fixture. This low-voltage pair provides the signal to the
driver, which determines the target light level. A voltage of 1V tells the driver to
go to the low end of its dimming range, while a voltage of 10V tells the driver to
go to the high end. Generally, a line voltage switch is also included in the system
to cut mains power to the driver when the lights should be off. This behavior is
specified in an IEC standard, 60929, which covers only very basic functionality.
For example, there is no assurance provided by the standard that smooth,
continuous dimming to low light levels will occur. Mixing 010V fixtures from
different manufacturers or using long wire runs for the 010V signal can cause
noticeable differences in light levels across multiple fixtures.
While 010V allows the control wires to be run separately from the power wires,
it has an inherent disadvantage when multiple control strategies are desired. By
definition, all fixtures tied to the same pair of 010V wires are controlled together
and will dim together. This fact means that for spaces with multiple control types,
where fixtures must dim to different levels due to differing control inputs (such as
daylight sensors, personal zone controls, and occupancy sensors), the room must be
broken into multiple areas of control, each with their own 010V wires. Control of
010V loads can become very complex to design and install for all but the simplest
applications. One other disadvantage of 010V is that any change of functionality or
fixture zoning requires rewiring of the 010V control links.
Digital control

29

Like 010V, digital control methods, such as Lutrons EcoSystem and the Digital
Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI), require an additional pair of low-voltage
wires to be run to each fixture. Unlike 010V, however, the pair of wires sends
bi-directional communication signals to each fixture, allowing individual
addressability and control. DALI, a commonly used digital protocol, is also
defined by the IEC, but differing interpretations of the standard can lead to
incompatibilities between devices from different manufacturers even if they
all claim DALI compliance. EcoSystem was developed by Lutron based on DALI
and compatible fixtures are offered by Lutron and other lighting companies

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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

such as Cree and GE Lighting. Compatible fixtures provide guaranteed control

compatibility, no matter which manufacturer is selected.
Digital control methods allow easy layering of control schemes. Each fixture can
behave independently from all others if that is desired to achieve lighting goals.
Digital technologies enable advanced functionality and zoning of fixtures through
a simple software interface, with no modification of the wiring required. Digital
controls allow flexibility in space configuration and reuse. Digital fixture control
most effectively unlocks the capability of smart lighting promised by LEDs.
Control ratings
As was described previously, LED loads do not electrically behave like
incandescent loads, leading to differing performance on different controls.
However, beyond aesthetic performance, the electrical characteristics of many
LED loads cause additional stresses on controls, beyond what their wattage alone
may indicate. This complicates determining how many loads for instance, how
many retrofit lamps or downlights can be reliably connected to a control.
The high inrush currents, repetitive peak currents, and RMS currents that can
occur when phase-cut dimmers are used with LEDs means that most controls
rated for incandescent loads cannot handle nearly the same wattage of LED loads.
Generally, only detailed electrical testing can determine the proper minimum
and maximum number of loads that can be connected to a control.
What many users do not understand is the effect of the lamp selection on the
regulatory rating of the control. Controls are tested and listed with a specific load
type in mind. For example, UL may rate a control as appropriate for incandescent or
magnetic low voltage (MLV) loads. Using them on other load types, such as ELV loads
even at the same voltage level, means they are being used beyond their original
design and testing, which can lead to unexpected behavior or decreased reliability.

30

Most existing incandescent dimmers have not been designed, rated, or tested
by UL or another nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) with LED
loads. Fortunately, many control manufacturers have recently released dimmers
explicitly rated for controlling LEDs, such as the CL dimmer family from Lutron
Electronics. These types of controls have LED-specific ratings, allowing the actual
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Matching SSL and control technology remains a challenge

wattage of the LED to be used to determine the maximum loading. In summary,

the manufacturer of the control should always be consulted to determine
whether or not the control in question has been tested on LEDs, and that the
control is not overloaded.
A holistic approach to LED control can help meet and exceed customer
expectations. Technologies are improving; control options, available literature,
and general knowledge are expanding; and LEDs can now be effectively used in
virtually any type of commercial application. By choosing the right manufacturer,
control, and driver, and considering key issues, it will be easier than ever to
provide customers with LED lighting and a control system that meets energysaving, performance, and aesthetic expectations.

Ethan Biery is the LED engineering leader at Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

31
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* This article was published in the July/August 2013 issue of LEDs Magazine.

COB LEDs simplify SSL

manufacturing, drive
broader deployment
Dense LED arrays can reduce the design complexity
and manufacturing cost of solid-state lighting products
and ultimately help solve the global energy crisis.

he lighting market

32

is evolving rapidly from

traditional lighting sources
to solid-state lighting (SSL)
technology. The main drivers for this
change are the need for greater energy
efficiency due to rising energy costs
and new legislation, both of which have
global implications. With the market
drive to mass adoption of SSL technology,
lighting manufacturers must adapt to
faster product development cycles that
more closely match developments in
LED technology. Developing fixtures
FIG. 1. A chip-onthat incorporate chip-on-board (COB)
board (COB) LED
LED arrays is one avenue toward faster development, although
packs a dense array
that choice also comes with challenges in how to implement
of LEDs.
the electrical, thermal, and optical interfaces with the LED. This
article provides background on COB technologies, summarizes the
issues and challenges with COBs, and suggests a unique luminaire assembly and
interconnect approach that simplifies luminaire design.
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

The world is facing a wide range of

energy-related issues ranging from oftdebated global warming to diminishing
fossil fuel supplies. Power generation
limitations due to increasing demand
or resulting from natural disasters
in various regions result in brownouts or even black-outs that directly
affect quality of life for residents.
These disruptions can extend to
national productivity due to decreased
FIG. 2. Companies
manufacturing output at companies located in those regions.
initially developed
custom sockets for
Political, economic, geographic, or logistical issues often limit
each LED from major
adding power generation capacity to address the increased
manufacturers.
demand. Given this environment, countries around the world
are fully engaged in trying to minimize their carbon footprints
and decrease energy consumption, thereby lessening the strain on their energy
infrastructure.
One major global effort is to decrease the energy load posed by the inefficient
lighting systems in use today. Increasing global population and the resulting
rise in demand for lighting can no longer be served by incandescent sources that
accounted for 79% of light source sales volume in 2006. Collectively today, lighting
energy consumption accounts for around 18% of the total global generated
energy and cannot be allowed to continue. Simply switching to readily available,
more energy-efficient light sources such as CFLs or LEDs can result in a 40%
energy savings that would eliminate 630 million tonnes of CO2 and 1800 million
barrels of oil. It would further cut down on the power-generating footprint,
eliminating the need for almost six hundred 2-TW/yr power plants. Although it is
neither feasible nor realistic to expect this change to happen overnight, phased
regulations are in place around the world to ban the incandescent bulb. These are
progressing and driving the changeover to incandescent alternatives primarily
turning to the LED moving forward.

33

HB LED evolution
Lets move on to LEDs, the evolution of the technology, and the challenges of SSL
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

development. LEDs have

gone through a significant
transition since their
inception that mimics
the evolution of the single
semiconductor transistor
device morphing into the
integrated circuit we know
today. Early LEDs were
low-power devices used for
indicating purposes and
are still in wide use today
across many applications.
In a manner similar to
transistors, an indicator LED that cost $300 in the 1960s
can now be purchased for less than $0.05 in a number of
different package styles. As with transistors, LED technology
transitioned from its original format as a low-power device to
a high-power device in the late 1990s/early 2000s. While these
earlier devices were considered high power, they were singledie packaged emitters with very limited light output and
limited practical use.

FIG. 3. Hand

soldering
is one option for
making the electrical
connection to COBs
but can be unreliable
and time consuming.

In an effort to increase light output, companies began placing multiple die in

a lead-frame style package to increase light output and individually placed
phosphor dots on each die to tune color. Around 2005, a new LED package was
developed that eliminated the secondary LED package and placed the die directly
on a metal-clad PCB substrate collectively called chip-on-board or COB (Fig. 1).
Rather than individual phosphor dots on each die, these COBs are characterized
by a yellow-orange phosphor pool or slurry that covers all die and is typically
centered on a white-colored substrate, giving these LEDs the nickname fried-egg
LEDs due to their appearance.

35

These COB LEDs have undergone a proliferation over the past couple of years as
all major LED manufacturers began offering COB products to the market. Unlike
the smaller packaged LEDs that are considered point source emitters, COBs by
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

their nature are wide area

emitters with up to 204
0.25-mm2 die packed into
a 12-mm-diameter area as
seen in products offered by
Nichia Corporation. In some
instances, larger die are used
in large arrays as seen in the
Bridgelux products that place
64 1-mm2 die in a 35-mmdiameter area.

FIG. 4. A

pair of holders that reference the corners of the LED

can work with many different COB LEDs.

With light source areas this large, COBs are clearly positioned as broad angle
emitters their large source size becomes very difficult to effectively focus into
a small beam angle. As a result, COBs are now found in applications requiring
large amounts of light spread out across a large area as seen in high bay and
street lighting. Still, optics such as reflectors can also enable the use of COB LEDs
in applications including downlights and even reflector-based retrofit lamps.
Connecting packaged LEDs
Over the years, multiple connector companies developed a number of sockets
for the high-power LEDs that came to market. In fact, the idea has spread that
an LED is just another device to be connected to. Sockets such as the TE Type LS
and Type NL2 (Fig. 2) devices were dedicated to a particular manufacturers LED
package and therefore had limited applicability beyond the specific targeted LED.
The emergence of COB LEDs posed different challenges to fixture manufacturers:
how to provide power to these devices and then affix them to heat sinks in the
lighting fixtures. The traditional method was to hand-solder the wires to the pads
on the substrate (Fig. 3) and then secure these assemblies with screws to the heat
sink a process that was time consuming and subject to variability. As with the
earlier discrete devices, this presented an ideal opportunity for socket solutions.

36

TE and other connector companies addressed this emergence of initial COB

devices the same way earlier discrete LED packages were addressed: custom
sockets. As other COBs started to enter the market, connector manufacturers
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

realized that the status quo method of developing a socket for each would be
prohibitively expensive and time consuming, resulting in never-ending efforts
forever chasing the next new COB to enter the market.
With well over 50 different
COB products commercially
available around the
world from multiple
manufacturers, finding a
single solution to address
each would be a challenge
to say the least. Aside
from the fact that all were
rectangular, all had two
electrical contact pads,
and most had circular light
FIG. 5. The COB holders can directly place force on thicker
emitting surfaces, there
aluminum substrates.
were few other dimensional
similarities. The challenge
for connector companies was how to address these varied but similar COB LEDs
with a minimum of engineering and tooling expenditure while providing a
future-proof and flexible platform based product.
Scalable interconnects
One solution to the interconnect challenge is a flexible, scalable, platform-based
socket. An analysis of available COBs yielded a crack in the shell of these fried
egg LEDs. While not exactly identical, there are similarities between contact
pad locations that, when combined with the rectangular nature of the devices
and diagonal contact pad placement, form the basis for the platform solution.
As a result, a holder product, referenced off the corners of the COB, could yield a
virtually limitless array of use scenarios with the varied COBs available on the
market as well as those to come in the future.

37

The substrate differences among COB LEDs from difference manufacturers,

however, added yet another issue that needs to be tackled by socket/holder
suppliers. While most of the early COBs incorporated aluminum substrates,
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

FIG. 6. The

holders must leave a gap on the thinner and brittle

ceramic substrates.

further investigation of
the commercially available
COBs indicated a number
of COBs that are based
on ceramic substrates
(typically aluminum
nitride). While not a
significant differentiator,
these two substrate
variants have physical
features that differ enough
to require special handling
due to their different
material properties.

The aluminum substrate COBs are rather robust and in some instances are
mounted using machine screws. On the other hand, ceramic-based COBs create
some frustration for fixture manufacturers since unlike aluminum-based
substrates where they could simply secure the COBs with a screw to a heat
sink, these ceramic substrates are far too brittle to secure with screws and
thereby mandate some sort of secondary attachment to ensure suitable thermal
performance. This attachment needs to be accomplished using thermal adhesives
or by a mechanical holder that provides normal force to the heat sink or thermal
pad, mechanical attachment, and electrical interconnection.
Holder devices that accommodate the COB nuances mentioned in the previous
paragraphs are appearing on the market. An example of one such platform
solution is the TE Scalable LED Socket connector that utilizes the corners of the
COB as a reference. In this manner, the two datums formed by the sides of the
COB can be used to positively locate the electrical contact on each of the COBs
electrical pads.

38

Moreover, the diagonally opposed contact pads on most COBs can allow the
luminaire industry to leverage the symmetry. The symmetry can enable use of
the same socket assembly on both corners of the COB (Fig. 4). By doing this, SKU
(stock keeping units) or model numbers are drastically reduced by eliminating the
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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

need for right and left versions of the socket, providing an advantage for socket
makers, distributors, and SSL manufacturers.
Managing substrate height
The variability of COB thickness poses yet another design challenge for a socket
product. COB substrates are available in a variety of materials and thicknesses
that need to be accommodated. The thinner and more brittle ceramic packages
can easily crack under pressure when used with flexible thermal interface pads
and therefore consequentially use greases as thermal interface materials (TIMs) to
optimize the thermal path from the LED substrate to the heat sink. On the other
hand, the more durable aluminum substrates can use grease or flexible TIMs.
Any holder being
considered by an SSL
manufacturer needs to
be evaluated relative to
how it accommodates
these varying stack
heights posed by COB
applications. One method
is commercially available
that utilizes a combination
of optional thermal springs
and housing ledges to
FIG. 7. Springs can secure ceramic substrates against the TIM
accommodate both types
and heat sink.
of COBs. An example using
an aluminum substrate COB is shown in Fig. 5. The red circle indicates how the
housing is used to secure the COB against the heat sink.

39

When the same system is used with the thinner ceramic substrates as shown in
Fig. 6, clearance needs to be provided to avoid exerting pressure on the ceramic
substrate. The housing design naturally clears the thinner ceramic COB as
indicated by the red circle. Since the electrical contact spring is inadequate to
provide an appreciable normal force for thermal contact, a secondary thermal
spring is incorporated and is seen in Fig. 7. A pair of these springs can exert just

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COB LEDs simplify SSL manufacturing, drive broader deployment

the right amount of force on a ceramic device to ensure optimal heat transfer
when used with most commercially available thermal greases.
Simplifying manufacturing
While a two-piece socket design affords a significant level of scalability to
accommodate a wide range of COBs, some fixture manufacturers prefer to only
handle a single part. Additional levels of scalability can be incorporated into a
two-piece design by the relatively simple addition of two arms oriented at 90 to
each other. These arms essentially create a scalable, factory-assembled one-piece
housing. A customized holder is then available to fit a specific manufacturers
COB LED (Fig. 8).
A scalable approach to the
interconnect enables a more
generic two-piece design or a
customized one-piece design, and
either can be used by the fixture
manufacturer with very little
cost difference between the two.
Consider the option a steppingstone approach. A lighting
FIG. 8. By adding arms to the corner holders, companies can
manufacturer can minimize the
supply a one-piece COB interconnect to SSL manufacturers.
interconnect investment during
prototyping by launching the
fixture using a readily available two-piece holder solution. Once production
ramp starts, the manufacturers can switch to a more manufacturing-friendly
one-piece design.

40

Ideally, having a single holder to accommodate all COBs would be the perfect
solution. Given the slight differences in pad locations between commercially
available COB products and the different plating styles commonly used, that
perfect solution is still elusive. Nonetheless, with a scalable holder solution,
solderless interconnections to a broad range of COBs are possible with a
very small number of socket SKUs that can accommodate a wide range of
commercially available products.

LEDs Magazine :: EDITORIAL DIGEST

* This article was published in the July/August 2011 issue of LEDs Magazine.

COB corner holders are also quite adaptable. An additional benefit to the holders
referencing off the corners of a COB is that the applicability of these holders can
extend beyond COBs. By using the same corner holders used to provide power into a
COB, large printed circuit boards containing massive arrays of LEDs can be powered
in a similar fashion through pads located on the corners of the circuit board.
In conclusion, COB holders, in particular those that reference off the device
corners, offer lighting fixture manufacturers a unique and flexible termination
solution for their COB LED attachment and interconnect needs. By utilizing a
holder designed from the start as a scalable platform, fixture manufacturers gain
the flexibility to utilize a broad range of light source options. From a COB LED
manufacturers point of view, the availability of a common holder design provides
a stable reference for manufacturers designing a new COB package since the use
of pre-defined contact pad locations ensures the availability of an off-the-shelf
holder solution when a new COB is released to the market.
The global march toward energy efficiency continues. LED lighting will play a major
role and, as with all new technologies, efficiencies are increasing while costs are
dropping. The need for cost-effective LED lighting is putting a renewed emphasis
on cost and manufacturability, which is where both COB LEDs and the COB holders
offer customers an ideal cost-effective solution that will accelerate LED adoption.

Ron Weber is the industry market manager for lighting and security at TE
Connectivitys Industrial Business Unit.

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