www.led-professional.com

ISSN 1993-890X

Review

p 22

Key Experts Shed Light on
UV-C Disinfection

p 36

New LiFi Communication Standards
Open Market Accessp 42

INTERVIEW Hiroyoshi OGAWA, NICHIACOMMENTARY Jan DENNEMAN, Good Light GroupMulti-Chip, Outdoor, Surgical
ECODESIGN Replaceability of Modules
INTELLIGENCE 13-Bit Color Controller

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LED TECHNOLOGIES84

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NICHIA Celebrates its 65th Year ofContinuous Innovation

Mar/Apr 2021 | Issuew

The Global Information Hub for Lighting Technologies and Design

EDITORIAL

Innovation United with
Sustainability
I am particularly pleased to give you a short introduction to this new
LED professional Review (LpR) release. We address some critical topics
ranging from light sources to design aspects, communication subjects,
and actual implementations in this issue. Inventions and technologicalprogress are the basis for innovation. However, we also know that all
developments – today more than ever – must be determined towards
quality and, above all, sustainability. In this context, we were pleased tointerview Mr. Hiroyoshi OGAWA, President and CEO of NICHIA. We also
took the opportunity to send our congratulations on the occasion of
NICHIA’s 65th anniversary.
The topic of sustainability is complex and has many facets. One viewpoint
is interchangeability, as prescribed by the new EU directives and discussed
in the article about Replaceability. In cooperation with LightingEurope, we
attained chief experts on UV-C disinfection, who provided us with thelatest insights in this ﬁeld. Wireless communication, and LiFi in particular, isa fascinating subject. Now, with standardization plans, there is further
momentum towards market implementations. You will also ﬁnd the link to
the LiFi seminar from the International Solid-State Lighting Alliancepublished on LpS Digital in this release. In addition to all that, we present
two speciﬁc new developments in the LED sector: New LEDs for outdoor
applications and innovations in multi-chip LED packaging.
Smart Controls and Surgical Lighting articles complete the range of topics
for technical developments and speciﬁc applications.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all our contributors.
Enjoy your read and stay healthy!
PS: Call for Papers for the LpS Digital 2021 is open. Take the opportunity
to submit your idea for a paper or present your latest innovations?iiT,ffrrrXGTa@.B;BiHX;HQ#H.
Yours Sincerely,

Siegfried Luger
Luger Research e.U., Founder & CEO
LED professional, Trends in Lighting, LpS Digital & Global Lighting Directory
Photonics21, Member of the Board of Stakeholders
International Solid-State Lighting Alliance (ISA), Member of the Board of Advisors
Member of the Good Light Group and the European Photonics Industry Consortium

4© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

CONTENT!""OVERVIEWNICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEW
22 Hiroyoshi OGAWA, President and CEO ofNICHIA

4 EDITORIALCOMMENTARY
8 Good Light is as Important as Good

compiled by Editors, LED professional

Food and Good Air

by Jan DENNEMAN, Chairman of the Good LightGroup

Hiroyoshi OGAWAJan DENNEMANECODESIGN
30 Replaceability of Light Sources andNEWS

Separate Control Gears

10 International Lighting Newsby Carsten MÖLLERS, Dipl.-Kfm., CEO of Green
Gems; Werner MOTZ, Electrical Engineering
Technician & Master at BASF

LIFI SEMINAR
20 LpS Digital – Conference & Exhibition

DISINFECTION
36 UV-C: Disinfection Beneﬁts, Safety,

Comfort and Proof Points

by Georg NIEDERMEIER, Dr., EHS Professional
at OSRAM; Armin KONRAD, Dr., Senior R&D
Director at LEDVANCE; Lukas KASTELEIN, Ing.,
Standardization and Regulations Professional at
Signify
LiFi Seminar organized by the International SSL
Alliance (ISA). State-of-the-art LiFi lectures
including the keynote lecture by Professor Harald
HAAS.

6

© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

!""

OVERVIEWWIRELESS COMMUNICATIONOUTDOOR LIGHTING

42 A Closer Look at LiFi Standardization

54 New LED for Outdoor Lighting

by Musa UNMEHOPA, Head of Ecosystems andAlliances for LiFi at Signify

CONTENTby Markus HOFMANN, DI, Senior Key Expert for
General Lighting at Osram Opto Semiconductors

LED TECHNOLOGY
58 Multi-Chip LEDs

Musa UNMEHOPA

by Sam ROGERS, Content Writer and Editor at
Ushio; Fumihiko ODA, Dr., SSL Sales Strategy
Deputy Manager at Ushio

COLOR CONTROLLER
48 13-Bit RGBW Color Control for Accurate

High-Quality Architectural & Stage
Lighting

by Keith SZOLUSHA, LED Driver Applications
Manager at Analog Devices

SURGICAL LIGHTING
62 Why High-End Surgical Lights Have

Become Imperative Invasive Equipment
by Ashish GUJARATHI, MBA, SEO Analyst at
Allied Market Research

66 ABOUT | IMPRINT

ADVERTISING INDEX
1
2
3
5
9
11
13

LpS Digital
Cree LED
HelvarSeoul Semiconductor
Röhm
Cree LED
Instrument Systems

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

15
17
18
29
35
41
46

LIGITEK
TopliteTrends in Lighting
LpS Digital
Repro-Light
LightingEurope
International Solid-State
Lighting Alliance

47 European Photonics Industry
Consortium
53 Sustainable Eye Health
64 Global Lighting Directory
65 LED professional
67 LED professional Review
68 Aalborg University
Copenhagen© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

7

NICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEWHIROYOSHI OGAWA!""NICHIA Celebrates its 65th Year ofContinuous Innovation –Hiroyoshi OGAWA, President and CEO
of NICHIA

Hiroyoshi OGAWA
Hiroyoshi OGAWA is President
and CEO of NICHIA Corporation.
He has worked at the familybusiness for close to 30 years.
He graduated from the Universityof Tokyo.

!""

HIROYOSHI OGAWANICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEW

Today, advanced LED technologies are essential in many areas, such as
lighting, automotive, displays, horticulture, but also in the ﬁeld of medicine
and disinfection. NICHIA has pioneered today’s LED technologies thathave transformed so many industries and businesses around the world.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of NICHIA’s foundation. We weredelighted to discuss NICHIA’s history, achievements and outlook with thecompany’s President and CEO Hiroyoshi OGAWA.

LED professional: First, we would liketo thank you very much for allowing
us to conduct an interview during
NICHIA´s 65th anniversary celebrations. We would also like to congratulate you and NICHIA on your remarkable anniversary. It is only ﬁtting that
our ﬁrst question is about NICHIA.
Can you give us a brief history of thecompany, and your career?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Thanks for yourinterest in NICHIA. The business wasfounded in 1956 by my grandfather,
Nobuo Ogawa, and this year is our 65th
anniversary. After graduating from university in Tokyo, I worked for one of the
major consumer electronics manufacturers in Japan for several years. When
NICHIA decided to commercialize blueLEDs, I moved back to Tokushima to
support my family´s business. Since
then, I have seen how NICHIA´s LEDs
have changed the world. While NICHIA
is generally recognized as an LED company, my grandfather specialized inpharmaceuticals and chemicals, so
NICHIA was purely a chemical manufacturer for its ﬁrst 30 years.
Nowadays, NICHIA´s business consistsof two core areas: optoelectronics products such as LEDs and laser diodes, andchemical products. NICHIA´s very ﬁrst
product was a type of calcium compound, which was a raw material in
medicines and used limestone locallyavailable in Tokushima. The company´snext phase was to develop phosphors.
The combination of several calcium compound products brought NICHIA into thisﬁeld.
Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

Then, the quest for light led NICHIA tocreate the world´s ﬁrst high-brightness
blue LEDs and world’s ﬁrst white LEDs,
and later laser diodes and UV LEDs.
Meanwhile, in the ﬁeld of chemicals –the company´s original business –thediversiﬁcation from phosphors to cathode materials for secondary batteries
and magnetic materials was achievedby using NICHIA´s core technologies ofhigh-purity chemical synthesis and ﬁne
powder handling. In this manner, wehave been expanding our areas of expertise for 65 years. When I look backthrough our history, there have always
been obstacles and difﬁculties to overcome. However, we have succeeded indeveloping and commercializing many
valuable products that can improve allof our lives. I am grateful not only to ourcustomers, but also to our predecessors, employees, and everyone in thelocal community who has accepted andsupported NICHIA.
LED professional: The culture andcorporate philosophy are central
building blocks of any company.
What would you say is the essenceof NICHIA?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Well, as a matterof fact we have a motto that all members in each ofﬁce recite every morning:“Let´s study. Let´s think deeply and work
hard. And let´s create the best products in the world.”This sounds rather
simple or straightforward, but clearly represents NICHIA´s corporate culture andleadership philosophy. In other words,
NICHIA values the honest efforts of all
employees. We work diligently to tackle

challenges and grasp opportunities together as one team. NICHIA does not
pursue short-term proﬁt. While focusing
on the fundamental essence of materials
and technology, we pursue honmono –the best quality in the world. Honmono
is a Japanese word that originally means
something true, real or genuine; it also
embraces products, work, manufacturing and people that are of the highest
quality, professional and sincere.

“While focusing on thefundamental essence ofmaterials and technology, we
pursue honmono – the best
quality in the world.
Honmono (ほんもの) is aJapanese word that originallymeans something true, real or
genuine.”
HIROYOSHI OGAWA

LED professional: NICHIA is the world
leader in the LED business. How
would you describe the recipe forsuccess that has put NICHIA in front?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: As I mentioned before, I believe that our success can be
attributed to the continuous pursuit ofdevelopment centered around the coreroot of materials and technology. We
have maintained an honest and persis-© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

23

NICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEW!""HIROYOSHI OGAWA

tent commitment to meeting the demands of the market, while still honoring
our belief in and fundamental respect fortrue development and innovation.
LED professional: We would also liketo address your product portfolio.
How is the LED business segmented
into product lines and geographicalregions?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: In terms of our LED
portfolio, we segment the business into
several categories, with three primarypillars making up the largest percentage
of our LED business, all of equal importance to the company. First, there are
LCD backlights for smartphones, tabletsand so on. Then there are LEDs for automotive applications –the interior andexterior of vehicles.

Figure 1: LEDs are widely used in displays ranging from large-screen applications to mobile devices such as
smartphones

Finally, LEDs for general lighting applications, which covers a wide range ofcommercial and consumer applications.
Plus there are other fast-growing LED
segments for NICHIA, such as UV LEDs,
and stable markets, such as displays.
While we do supply our LEDs globally,
we focus on the main regions of Japan,
China and Europe/Americas.
LED professional: The lighting industry has been undergoing a signiﬁcanttransformation since the transition to
LED technologies. Also, there havebeen innovations through digitalization and connectivity. Where do you
now see the main focus in lighting applications, and how should the lighting and components industries react?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: LEDs have changed
the light source market drastically. In
spite of the opportunity presented byLEDs, there has been almost no change
in the lighting ﬁxture market for which
LEDs are used. The entire lighting industry has still not moved on from theidea of simply replacing conventional
light sources with LEDs. We would liketo see the market take better advantage
of LEDs, develop lighting spaces that are
comfortable to all, and ultimately focus
on developing lighting ﬁxtures that canbe achieved only with LEDs, not withconventional light sources. To achieve
this ultimate goal, we will continue topursue the ideal light source, form andquality.
It is essential to offer the type of valuethat has never existed before, for exam24

Figure 2: One of the main focuses of LED technology is illumination for the general lighting, automotive,
horticulture and medical sectors

ple in the form of health. As people are
spending more time indoors –and especially during the global Covid-19 restrictions –there is a strong focus within the
LED industry on commercializing lighting that can regulate the body clock, theso-called circadian rhythm. This is justone example of the value LEDs can bringthat the industry can take advantage of.
There are many more that we hope to
see implemented, as the industry expands beyond simple replacements.
LED professional: Nowadays, the efﬁcacies of white LEDs are at a very
high level. Is there room for further
developments?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: While the discussion of LED efﬁcacy has unfortunately
been the dominant trend for the past

decade, perhaps we should say it has
almost matured, despite the many othersigniﬁcant beneﬁts of LEDs. However,this trend of focusing only on efﬁcacy
has evolved over the last couple of years.
While efﬁciency is of course essential,
the discussion is now focused more on
the combination of efﬁciency with a highquality of light, with implications for color
rendering, or how things look under thelighting.
The function of light, for example to adjust circadian rhythm, has also been afocus. I believe it is still possible to improve efﬁciency in this context, both at
the individual LED and system levels. For
example, NICHIA´s newest mid-power
general lighting packages, which we
started introducing to global customers
at the end of 2020, were developed for© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

!""

HIROYOSHI OGAWANICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEW

a balance of color quality and efﬁciency.
Utilizing the technology of our partnercompany, we eliminated the efﬁciency
gap between 80 and 90 CRI.
We were able to commercialize a 90+
CRI LED with the same efﬁcacy as theequivalent 80 CRI LED, which has garnered much attention from the industry,
as this gap was a primary obstacle to implementing higher-quality light solutions.
We will continue to strive for efﬁciency
improvements paired with the quality oflight and the function of light.

Figure 3: Laser technology is considered one of the next big and future steps in innovation

We will also work on research and development that has potential for technological innovations that realize further
efﬁciency improvement, focusing on thetrue nature of light –that it behaves as aparticle and as a wave at the same time.
LED professional: Since you havementioned “quality of light”several
times, could you tell us more about
what this means?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: For over a quarterof a century, since white LEDs began
to revolutionize the lighting market, themost important theme has been efﬁciency. To replace the conventional lightsources that had already been widelyadopted in society over many years –equivalent efﬁciency at least, or preferably even better efﬁciency – was required.
In addition, the power shortages causedby the 2011 earthquake in Japan andthe resulting Fukushima nuclear power
plant accident became a major trigger
for the penetration of LEDs in the lighting
ﬁeld: “efﬁciency”and “energy-saving”
were seen as their primary advantages.
However, for that reason, perhaps toomuch emphasis was put on efﬁciency,
and LED lighting may have sacriﬁced
the color rendering properties and thenatural appearance of colors that had
been achieved with many ﬂuorescentlamps and halogen bulbs.
As I mentioned earlier, it is now time toturn our attention to the quality of lightwith LED lighting, given that efﬁciency
has reached a point of maturity, andwhile our lifestyles have been foreverchanged by Covid-19. One of NICHIA´ssolutions is a product I highlighted before, which achieves excellent color rendering and efﬁciency simultaneously. Additionally, NICHIA´s development of LEDs

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

Figure 4: Quality aspects are a central part of the LED mass business, especially with regard to failure rates,
color rendering quality and life time

Figure 5: Today’s mass LED business is primarily built on phosphor-based white LEDs, which are highly
optimized in terms of spectral properties

with an emphasis on circadian rhythm isan achievement that addresses this pursuit of exceptional light quality and lightfunctionality.
While we increasingly work from homeand stay indoors for a greater period oftime, we need to continue to pursue theprovision of light that makes our surroundings look more natural, colorful anduplifting. Lighting that brightens a person´s face in person or via virtual meetings results in a more lively conversation.
It is important to enrich our lives withlight that energizes our soul and soothes
our body as we rest each day. By harnessing all the expertise from LEDs andphosphors cultivated over many years,
NICHIA is in a position to deliver a qualityof light that has never existed before.

© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

25

NICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEWHIROYOSHI OGAWA!""

Hiroyoshi OGAWA

26© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

!""LED professional: UV LEDs, and especially UV-C LEDs, are the next big
topic and the hope for extending thebusiness. Are there any updates you
can share with us about this productgroup?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Certainly, the UVC area is attracting attention due to the
Covid-19 pandemic. I think UV-C LED
is important technology both in terms ofcontributing to society, and new business possibilities. NICHIA has been aleading supplier of UV LEDs for over 20
years, although the primary success has
been in UV-A markets, speciﬁcally forresin curing and sensors. However, as
the performance and lifetime have improved, interest in and expectations of
UV-C LEDs, especially with regard tosterilization, have increased –this was thecase even pre-pandemic.
Now, Covid-19 has further boosted thatinterest in and expectations for UV-C
LED solutions. Unfortunately, as UVC technology is still in its infancy, themarket has been ﬂooded with many
unreliable, low-performance products.
NICHIA believes that it is critical to develop strong and reliable UV-C LED solutions that take advantage of the germicidal beneﬁts of the technology, but without sacriﬁcing reliability. Just in the pastquarter, NICHIA has commercialized two
industry-leading UV-C LEDs that succeed in combining high performance anda long lifetime. We know the future for
UV LEDs remains strong, and we are excited to continue expanding our portfolio.
We are honored to have our products
utilized in new ﬁelds, contributing to asafer and more secure society.

HIROYOSHI OGAWANICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEW

has, in my opinion, been simply replacing
conventional light sources.

LED professional: Sustainability is a
key topic that affects us all. How does
NICHIA address this issue in general,and speciﬁcally for products?

Of course, those replacements weremeaningful, and I am proud that it hascontributed signiﬁcantly to society interms of energy-saving and other aspects. Still, we as an industry can doso much more. As of today, we will reexamine and pursue the true essence
and purpose of LEDs, as well as laser
diodes, another core pillar of NICHIA´s
optoelectronics business. We will introduce revolutionary light sources for lighting, automotive and other applications interms of design, function and quality oflight, which only NICHIA can achieve.

Hiroyoshi OGAWA: First and foremost,by increasing the efﬁciency of LEDs andimproving the efﬁciency of production
processes, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions can be greatly
reduced. Also, waste and maintenancecosts can be reduced by extending thelife of LEDs. Making contributions tosociety through actions like these is central to our sustainability efforts. Moreover, we provide a comfortable and safe
work environment for employees, andFigure 6: Located at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains, overlooking Suwa Lake, the Suwa Technology
center is the development base for advanced products

LED professional: NICHIA has very
successfully introduced products ingeneral lighting, automotive lighting,displays and UV to the market. What
strategic product directions can we
expect from NICHIA in the future?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: In 1993 NICHIA
transformed the world with an innovation that would forever alter the global
energy landscape –the invention andcommercialization of the blue LED, soon
followed in 1996 by the white LED. While
this transformation has meant a lot to theindustry and the world, as I previously
mentioned, I fear we are not fully taking
advantage of the technology and what it
has to offer. Most of the LED lighting thathas emerged in the last quarter-century

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021

Figure 7: One of NICHIA’s several huge production facilities in Japan (Tatsumi-Plant in Tokushima)© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

27

!""

NICHIA’S 65th ANNIVERSARY –INTERVIEWHIROYOSHI OGAWA

we avoid environmental pollution within
NICHIA and our supply chain. The useof renewable energy in running our business is also central to our ethos, which is
why we are installing solar power generation systems in our plants.

LED professional: In the last part ofthis interview, we would like to ask
you about business in Europe. In recent years, a very strong applications
and sales team has been establishedin Europe. How important is design-inservice for customers, and what strategy will NICHIA pursue in this area in
the future?

very closely with our customers so that
we could respond to their needs directly
and develop the market accordingly.
However, over time, as LEDs have drastically changed the lighting landscape,we have modiﬁed our European sales
model to work with distributors for certain customers, while also maintaining
direct business with others.

Hiroyoshi OGAWA: As you know, forboth automotive and general lighting applications, cutting-edge technologies areoften generated within Europe and deployed worldwide. Therefore, we would
like to contribute through the development of new technologies and new products from those initial stages, so that we
can have the opportunity to create new
products together with our customers
and promote them all over the world.
To achieve this, we have been making
signiﬁcant investments in the sales andapplications teams in Europe. Design-in
activities in Europe have strategic importance for the LED business of NICHIA
globally.

In 2011, we started working with local
European distributors with a strong regional presence. In 2016, after further
recognizing the value that distributors
bring, we started working with a key
global distributor in addition to our network of local distributors. These are all
great assets to NICHIA and complement
our business strategy.

LED professional: We are living inchallenging times. With that in mind,
what visions for the lighting sector will
guide you and NICHIA in the coming
years?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Again, one areaof focus is in the UV ﬁeld, as sterilization becomes increasingly important tocontrol the spread of Covid-19. We arealso considering the fusion of UV andgeneral lighting. “Health”remains anessential trend. The quality of light andthe role of lighting will remain critical in
the future, especially as lifestyles change.
People are likely to spend extended time
at home, in an artiﬁcial lighting environment, and this will in turn disturb circadian rhythms. Our introduction of the“Light so Good”portfolio includes several different solutions to address thesekey challenges, including Optisolis™ [1],Vitasolis™ [2] and our game-changing
2-in-1 tunable white single LES LED.
Additionally, with the elimination of efﬁciency gaps with 90+ CRI, NICHIA iscontinually proving itself as an innovation
leader. We will strive to make a continuous contribution to improving the qualityof life for wider society and our personal
wellbeing.

LED professional: In addition to serving its key accounts, NICHIA has
excellent long-term relationships
with major distributors. What future
progress do you anticipate?
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Since the era ofphosphors for ﬂuorescent lamps andTVs (before our LED business evenstarted), NICHIA has persevered witha direct business model. We worked

Given the current situation, it is not possible to interact with the whole LED lighting market by relying solely on communication with key accounts. Therefore,
distributors help NICHIA to better understand customer needs, and direct
us to take the best possible action. Indeed, they offer a market reach that is
far greater than NICHIA [3] could deliver directly. Thanks to their cooperation, NICHIA´s name has become better
known to small and medium-sized customers as well as designers, speciﬁers
and end users.
Our relationship with distributors hasgrown further through collaboration ontechnical seminars, product promotions,
webinars, exhibitions and successful joint
projects with customers. By harnessingthese activities we will continue to serve
the market´s needs with relevant technological innovations.
LED professional: We would like tothank you very much for your time,and for giving us a glimpse into yourcompany´s workings. We wish you
and your family, and all your employees and their families, the very best
for a successful and bright future.
Hiroyoshi OGAWA: Thank you verymuch. "

References?iiTb,ffrrrXMB+?BX+QXDTf2MfT`Q/m+ifH2/nbTnQTiBbQHBbX?iKH[2] ?iiTb,ffrrrXMB+?BX+QXDTf2MfT`Q/m+ifH2/nbTnpBibQHBbX?iKH[3] ?iiT,ffrrrXMB+?BX+QXDTf2Mf#QminMB+?BfB
M/2tX?iKH[1]Figure 8: One of NICHIA’s R&D centers in Japan (Kanagawa Prefecture)28© 2021 Luger Research e.U. | LED professional Review (LpR) | Lighting Technologies & Design

Issue 84/Mar-Apr/2021