Archive for October 13th, 2008

The junction temperature of high-power LEDs can directly affect the performance and longevity of some LED devices. As the junction temperature rises, a significant loss of output (luminosity) can be expected. The forward voltage of an LED is also dependent on the junction temperature. As the temperature rises, the forward voltage decreases, which can cause excessive current drain on other LEDs in the array. This in-turn leads to thermal runaway conditions and ultimately to the failure of the device. High temperatures can also affect the wavelength of an LED fabricated using gallium arsenide, gallium nitride or silicon carbide. (more…)