Seoul Semi Upgrades Semiconductor Source For AC Power Outlets
Seoul Semiconductor announced the release of an upgraded version of Acriche, which is claimed to be the world’s first semiconductor lighting source for ac power outlets. The new Acriche – package type emitting 200 lumens – is being provided as an emitter with features including higher brightness of 200 lumens at 3.3W, which is nearly 60 lm/W or 50% brighter than the version released last year.
Due to its advanced high-yield device fabrication methods and the economics of high capacity, the company claims that it is able to reduce the price of the enhanced version of Acriche by 40%, making it more competitively priced to penetrate the conventional lighting market.
According to the company, the Acriche has a competitive advantage over conventional lighting and conventional LEDs, which includes Acriche’s capability of plugging directly into the ac power outlets of homes and offices without the need for an ac-dc converter. Seoul Semiconductor is cooperating with Nitride Semiconductor in Japan. Seoul Semi has also registered its patents in major countries including Korea, Japan and the US for the Acriche.
The new Acriche is sold as a single emitter without the heat sink PCB which enables greater flexibility for users to design the PCB type and array emitters as they see fit. This characteristic broadens the range of applications for Acriche. With its upgraded packaging, Acriche is said to be the only semiconductor lighting source capable of withstanding 4W level of high power. The company states that it expects this to spur rapid adoption of Acriche for general lighting applications such as down light and architectural lighting such as MR16.
The Acriche can also be used in power systems ranging from 100 ~ 120V and 220 ~ 230V, which the company claims is a unique feature that affords the universal application of the technology in power systems in the US as well as in countries like Korea, EU, China, India, the UK, and Japan.
Seoul Semiconductor is planning to increase Acriche’s brightness from the current 60 lm/W to 80 lm/W with the package of 250 lumens by the fourth quarter of 2007; and to 120 lm/w with the package of 400 lumens before the end of 2008.
