LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has announced commercial availability of the XLamp XD16 LED (claimed to be the industry’s first extreme density LED), which delivers up to 5 times higher lumen density than Cree’s previous generation of high-power LEDs.
Built on Cree’s NX technology platform, the XD16 LED combines what is claimed to be the highest lumen density achieved by a commercially available lighting-class LED (more than 284lm/mm2), low optical cross-talk, unsurpassed thermal contact and ease of system manufacturing to enable new designs for a broad spectrum of lighting applications (e.g. color-tuning, street, portable and industrial).
The ceramic-based XD16 LED utilizes the proven XQ footprint and addresses challenges with luminaire manufacturing, thermal design, optical design and reliability faced by competing LEDs, it is reckoned (e.g. reducing system-level optical loss by up to three times versus competing technologies when LEDs are placed close together on a board), translating into fewer wasted lumens and higher efficacy for lighting products.
“Cree’s new extreme density LED demonstrates that true LED innovation improves our customers’ system performance without forcing compromise,” says Dave Emerson, Cree LEDs executive VP & general manager. “The XD16 LED delivers unmatched lumen density without the design and manufacturing challenges associated with inferior LED technology approaches,” he adds. “Now, lighting manufacturers can easily achieve previously unattainable levels of light output and efficacy in their existing form factors.”
The new LEDs are characterized and binned at 85°C, available in ANSI White, EasyWhite 3- and 5-step color temperatures (2700–6500K), and color rendering index (CRI) options of 70, 80 and 90. Product samples are available now and production quantities are available with standard lead times.
