Production concept could give rise to new types of LEDs

The objective of the InteGreat project being co-ordinated by Osram is to research new approaches to the production of high-efficiency light emitting diodes along the entire production process, to remove the boundaries between the individual value-added stages and to create new functionality and more flexibility. Osram Opto Semiconductors and five partners are combining their specific areas of expertise in this project, which is due to run until 30^th November 2017. The project is being supported by the German Ministry for Education and Research as part of the Photonic Process Chains initiative.

A holistic view of the manufacturing process, from epitaxy to the light source itself, should enable synergies to be exploited for maximum effect and new approaches and procedures to be developed. Established technologies and processes from the microelectronics industry will be used and adapted to the specific requirements of LED production. Steps that up to now have been isolated will be networked, which will allow cost-intensive sorting and testing processes to be replaced by comprehensive routines. For the first time, this could enable production of modern high-power LEDs to be a unified process.

To achieve these objectives, Osram Opto Semiconductors is co-ordinating this project with five partners: Osram, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, LayTec, Würth Elektronik and Mühlbauer. Osram Opto Semiconductors is responsible for the integration and evaluation of the new processes. Contributing its expertise in process technologies, Osram is integrating the newly developed LED components into low-cost luminaires. Mühlbauer is contributing its knowledge of engineering to the high-precision processing of electrical components on flexible and fixed substrates, including the development of new processes. Würth Elektronik is researching the ways in which the LED chip can be connected to the PCB, while LayTec is analysing innovative process control systems for LED manufacturing.

The Fraunhofer IZM and the Fraunhofer IISB are researching the basic technological principles of process control and mounting technology. The Fraunhofer IZM is contributing its experience in connection technology, while the Fraunhofer IISB will contribute its experience in the control of production processes.

“For the duration of the project, we will be researching completely new concepts for LED production and questioning the traditional paradigms of the manufacturing process,” commented Dr. Jürgen Moosburger, Project Coordinator, Osram Opto Semiconductors.“With the new production concepts, we expect to be in a position to develop both low-cost miniaturised LEDs and highly integrated modules.”