Next generation UVC LEDs by nanostructuring

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The sixth of UN’s 17 development goals reads “clean water and sanitation for all”. Improving existing methods for water disinfection to prevent the spread of waterborne infections and diseases is a key component of achieving this goal. UVC LEDs are on the way to replacing conventional methods of disinfection, by leveraging the highly compact footprint, reliable operation and high efficiencies of semiconductors. However, the material system utilized in UVC LEDs, Aluminum Gallium Nitride, is prone to defects and cracking, slowing down the development progress of the UVC LEDs. In CrayoNano, we want to overcome these challenges by utilizing our unique insights into nanomaterials, more specifically nanowires and two-dimensional materials, and incorporating these novel materials into more traditional thin-film architectures. Nanomaterials offer novel properties, and most importantly can reduce the defect densities seen in thin films, thereby improving the performance. We are developing a UVC LED emitting light at 275 nm, which is the optimal wavelength for water disinfection. Furthermore, a footprint of 45 mil ensures compatibility with established circuitry in our market segment. During the project, we aim to surpass the state-of-the-art performance of UVC LEDs with a WPE of more than 5% and a high output power. The UVC LED will be mass-produced and enable availability of powerful disinfecting UVC LEDs for novel applications as well as for water disinfection systems.