UV-C LEDs for Sterilization Applications

Abstract

HexaTech has developed a proprietary, patented process for manufacturing bulk aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals and semiconductor wafers. HexaTech is leveraging this unique capability to develop and commercialize high-performance, long-lifetime Ultra Violet Light Emitting Diodes (UV-C LEDs) for disinfection applications (particularly clean water) and high-voltage, high-efficiency power semiconductors for power conversion applications (particularly smart grid). Deep-ultraviolet light with wavelength in the range of 250 to 280nm (UV-C) has been used to sterilize liquids, air and surfaces for over a century. UV-C light is absorbed by and damages the DNA of harmful bacteria, either outright killing the bacteria or preventing their ability to replicate. Traditionally, high voltage mercury tubes have been used to generate such UV light. While mercury tubes have enabled UV-C use bulk disinfection applications such as drinking water and waste water, they have proven impractical in point-of-use applications where small size, elimination of harmful mercury, and high reliability under intermittent use conditions are required. The solution is to generate UV-C light using LEDs. In spite of numerous efforts, the power output and reliability of UV-C LEDs is still not sufficient for their adoption as practical and reliable UV-C light sources. Traditionally, AlGaN-based UV-C LEDs have been fabricated on sapphire substrates. Because of huge number of defects caused by the lattice mismatch between the AlGaN active layers and the sapphire substrate, these sapphire-based UV-C LEDs show performance and reliability of limited interest to sterilization system manufacturers. HexaTech's AlN crystal growth and wafer processing technology results in single crystal wafers with extremely high quality. HexaTech and its development partners have fabricated UV-C LEDs that have shown performance dramatically superior to other devices in the market in terms of output power, power density and lifetime. In this presentation, we will discuss the market requirements for UV-C LEDs, the challenges of UV-C device fabrication, package and test, and the solutions that are being pursued.