The main difference between visible light, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) COB LEDs is that they emit electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths, which leads to significant differences in materials, working principles, application areas, and human perception. Here are the specific comparison situations:
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Visible light LED:
Wavelength range: approximately 380 nanometers (purple light) to 750 nanometers (red light).
Human perception: It can be seen and can present various colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, etc.
Materials: including gallium indium phosphide, aluminum gallium indium phosphide, indium gallium nitride, etc. By adjusting the material ratio (such as InGaN, AlGaInP), the bandgap can be precisely controlled to emit light of different colors.
Applications: General lighting (light bulbs, tubes, panel lights, etc.), display and backlight (mobile phones, televisions, computer screens, etc.), decorative and ambient lighting.
UV COB LED:
Wavelength range: approximately 100 nanometers to 400 nanometers, subdivided into UVA (315-400 nanometers), UVB (280-315 nanometers), and UVC (100-280 nanometers).
Human perception: invisible, but UVA may make people perceive weak purple light under specific conditions. UVC has strong destructive effects on biological tissues.
Material: Wide bandgap semiconductors are crucial. UVA commonly uses indium gallium nitride and aluminum gallium nitride; The mainstream of UVC is aluminum gallium nitride, especially AlGaN system. Diamond and boron nitride are cutting-edge research directions with high technical difficulty and low efficiency.
Application: UVA is used for curing, anti-counterfeiting detection, insect trapping lamps, and special lighting; UVC is mainly used for surface disinfection, air/water purification, sterilization and disinfection of medical equipment and food processing equipment.
Infrared COB LED (IR):
Wavelength range: approximately 700 nanometers to 1 millimeter, subdivided into NIR (700-1400 nanometers), MIR (1400-3000 nanometers), and FIR (3000-1-millimeter).
Human perception: invisible, but some NIR may be perceived as weak red light, mainly manifested as thermal radiation.
Materials: Gallium arsenide is the most common and efficient base material, aluminum gallium arsenide is used to adjust wavelengths, and gallium indium arsenide phosphide is applied to specific wavelengths.
Applications: Night vision and imaging (security monitoring cameras, night vision devices), communication (remote control, fiber optic communication), sensing (proximity sensing, biosensing), machine vision, heating (industrial drying, therapy equipment).
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Basic principles and energy differences:
All three are based on the electroluminescence phenomenon of semiconductor PN junction, where electrons and holes recombine and release photons at the PN junction. According to the photon energy formula E=hc/λ, ultraviolet light has the shortest wavelength and the highest photon energy; Infrared light has the longest wavelength and the lowest photon energy; Visible light falls between the two.
Efficiency and Cost:
Efficiency: Visible light LEDs have the highest efficiency, especially white light LEDs; Infrared LED (NIR) also has very high efficiency; UV LEDs (especially UVC) have relatively low efficiency.
Cost: Visible light LED has the lowest cost and is mature for large-scale production; Infrared LEDs (NIR) also have lower costs; UV LED (especially UVC) has the highest cost, mainly due to material and technological limitations.
Security risks:
Visible light LED: Attention should be paid to the hazards of blue light, as high brightness blue light may damage the retina.
Ultraviolet LED (UVC): The highest safety risk, direct exposure can damage the skin and eyes, and must be strictly shielded during use.
Infrared COB LED (high-power): The main risk is thermal damage, prolonged close range exposure may cause skin burns, and some wavelengths pose a risk of thermal damage to the eye lens.