Over the past few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of applications adopting LEDs for lighting, along with notification functions and improved component miniaturization, as increasingly demanded by compact portable devices. For drones in particular, which are gaining traction in various fields, their adoption is expected in new applications such as the use of multiple drones integrated with LEDs in visual displays. Thanks to the significant expansion in these markets, several companies have begun to focus on proprietary designs that require compact LEDs in a wider range of colors.
In response, ROHM has developed the renowned SML-P1 series of class-leading, low-profile, compact LED chips. This is achieved by utilizing a global, integrated production system and leveraging its strengths in element technology to eliminate the wavelength variations that have proven problematic in the past. As a result, ROHM has been able to increase the number of colors from 8 to 15, the highest on the market, thus offering unparalleled compatibility.
Furthermore, the combination of a lower gold conductor wire connection and a thinner light-emitting element (developed using proprietary technology) enables the lowest profile form factor on the market at just 0.2 mm. This contributes to significantly more compact, lower-profile, and lighter designs for mobile applications. Additionally, the reflow soldering process allowed ROHM to prevent solder from entering the resin by implementing measures to prevent penetration within the encapsulation itself. This is expected to prevent failures caused by infiltration during the customer's soldering process, significantly improving reliability. Going forward, ROHM will focus on enhancing its PICOLED™ range to include high-brightness versions and expanding its RGB LED range capable of improved color mixing.
Main features
1. The first 15-color range on the market
Seven intermediate colors have been added to ROHM's existing 8-color range, resulting in an unprecedented offering of 15 colors, the largest on the market.
2. The world's lowest profile format (0.2 mm), developed using
ROHM's proprietary production technology, has successfully achieved the thinnest format on the market (0.2 mm) in the smallest package size in its class (1.0 x 0.6 mm), while the lightweight design (0.2 mg) addresses the weight reduction requirements of handheld devices and drones.
Furthermore, the package miniaturization technology allows the light-emitting element to be placed on a 0.6 mm x 0.6 mm square surface, thus providing the square emission characteristics ideal for dot-matrix displays.
3. Measures against solder intrusion improve reliability.
A type of plug called a 'soldering resistor' is implemented before the gold metallization process blocks the gold pattern (which is characterized by its good wettability).
This prevents solder from penetrating the resin, eliminating failures caused by short circuits and significantly improving reliability.
