UV-C LED Breakthrough: Towards Mercury-Free Disinfection

Battling germs with UV-C radiation: disinfection with light is gaining global importance — in hospitals, offices, kitchens and bathrooms. Even tap water can be disinfected using UV-C radiation. ams OSRAM has now achieved a technological breakthrough in this field within the evaluation of a new UV-C LED. The LED delivers over 10 percent efficiency at 200 milliwatts of power, a wavelength of 265 nanometres and a lifespan exceeding 20,000 hours. With these specifications it can replace conventional mercury discharge lamps in the future. The LED’s efficiency has been validated by Germany’s national metrology institute, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).

Eliminating pathogens on surfaces, in liquids or in the air is crucial for safeguarding human health and the environment — in everyday life and across industries. Residue-free disinfection using energy-rich UV-C radiation plays an increasingly important role. Alongside UV-C LEDs, the radiation sources are primarily low-pressure and medium-pressure discharge lamps. Due to their mercury content these lamps pose health and environmental risks during production, operation and disposal, so the demand for sustainable alternatives such as UV-C LEDs is steadily increasing. So far, however, their efficiency has not matched the traditional technology across all applications.

“We are increasingly focusing our research and development efforts on sustainable products. As a leading LED manufacturer, our goal is to unlock and continuously enhance UV-C LED technology to enable an ever-growing number of applications,” explains Dr. Ulrich Steegmueller, Senior Vice President Research and Development in the Business Unit Opto Semiconductors at ams OSRAM. The company is working on several advances in epitaxy as well as chip and package design, and recently succeeded in optimising the extraction of UV-C radiation from the LED. The LED achieved a wall-plug efficiency (WPE) exceeding 10 percent while delivering a lifespan of more than 20,000 hours — nearly double the previous LEDs’ WPE of around 5.3 percent, with all other conditions unchanged.

The peak value has been validated by the PTB, whose measurements confirm a WPE of 10.2 percent. ams OSRAM has also demonstrated that the tested samples last as long as the high-power LEDs on the market today. The new UV-C LEDs are expected to be available from late 2026 and will complement the existing portfolio for UV-C lighting solutions. The company safeguards its innovations in UV-C LED technology with more than 200 patent assets.

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