Bivar UV LED lasts 20,000h

BivarOpto has introduced what it claims to be the industry's first extended-life UV LED that provides a radiant flux of 12mW per chip at a typical wavelength of 400nm and is rated for operation for over 20,000h of continuous operation (30mA) compared to the typical 2,000h lifespan of other commercially available devices.

It can be used in applications such as currency validation in vending and change machines, automotive instrumentation, counterfeit bill detection/bill validation, medical equipment, high-pressure hydraulic leak detection systems, test and measurement, and security/biometrics.

The device is housed in an all metal and glass TO-92 package that eliminates the life shortening degradation of the standard clear epoxy encapsulation. Its metal base also acts as an effective heatsink offering increased forward currents up to 150mA under 1/10th duty cycle operation. The series can also be specified with multi-chip configurations allowing for compound intensities up to 36mW per unit and in large cluster arrays of up to 144 units per PCB.

The UV LED offers a viewing angle of 30° and has a wavelength ranging from 390nm to 410nm. It is screened for operation over the -25°C to 85°C temperature range.