OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
Encyclopedia
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany, a wholly owned subsidiary of Osram
Osram
Osram, founded 1919, is part of the industry sector of Siemens AG and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. The name is derived from osmium and Wolfram , as both these elements were commonly used for lighting filaments at the time the company was founded...
GmbH, is the world's second largest manufacturer of optoelectronic semiconductors after LiteOn and followed third place by CREE Inc . One of the main products of the company are light emitting diodes (LEDs), other products are high power laser diodes, infra red components and optical sensors. The company was founded in 1999 as a joint venture between Osram and Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer and was founded on April 1, 1999, when the semiconductor operations of the parent company Siemens AG were spun off to form a separate legal entity. , Infineon has 25,149 employees worldwide...
.
History
When Siemens AGSiemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
spun off the semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
operations to form a separate legal entity, Osram
Osram
Osram, founded 1919, is part of the industry sector of Siemens AG and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. The name is derived from osmium and Wolfram , as both these elements were commonly used for lighting filaments at the time the company was founded...
GmbH had an opportunity to take over the LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
division.
On January 1, 1999 the takeover was completed with a 51% majority share. The Siemens subsidiary Infineon initially retained a 49% share. In the summer of 2001, Osram GmbH acquired all Infineon shares in the sale of opto-semiconductors.
In 2003, the company opened the world's most advanced opto chip factory in Regensburg, Germany. After a construction period of just 21 months, the first phase of the factory, covering an area of 36,000 m², was opened. Total investment was around 120 million Euros. The second phase was officially opened in 2008.
Profile
As the world’s second largest manufacturer of optoelectronic semiconductorSemiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s for the illumination
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
, sensing and visualization sectors, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH combines semiconductors, converter materials and packages under one roof. At its headquarters in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a further production site in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
(Malaysia) and a global network of sales and marketing centers, the company employs more than 6.000 people. In the 2010 fiscal year, the optoelectronic semiconductor accounts for twenty percent of overall Osram GmbH sales.
The semiconductor products of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors include high-power LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
s in the visible range, high-performance infrared LEDs, high-quality optoelectronic detectors, and high-power semiconductor lasers. All the components are sold in various output categories with different brightness levels, sizes and package formats.
In 2009, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors presented "Orbeos", the first OLED light source for premium quality functional lighting developed by the company .
Products
IlluminationLighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
High-power LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
s in various white tones and all possible colors are currently making inroads in all lighting sectors, including room lighting, architecture lighting and street lighting . LEDs from OSRAM have been used in the automotive sector for a number of years. In this sector the company sells products ranging from dashboard lighting right up to headlights on cars. Since 2010 LEDs take on major lighting functions in main headlamps in the new version of the Audi A8 .
The OSTAR platform, the most powerful LED solution
Solution
In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
so far, includes high-power LEDs for numerous applications: For lighting, for projection, for rear projection television (RPTV) and as IR light sources for observation for use in the security sector .
Visualization
Monochrome LEDs are used as points of light on information panels. Multicolor LEDs such as MultiLED cover the entire color triangle and are used in large-format displays at rock concerts, sports stadiums and trade fairs.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is taking a dual approach to display and projection technology with its LEDs and lasers. The range of applications for LEDs includes screens of all sizes from small (for example for satnav systems, LCD monitors, mobile phones and other mobile terminals) to very large (102“ diagonal and higher). Small displays are also available with OLED backlighting. For projection applications the company will be using laser technology in addition to LED solutions (OSTAR Projection).
In December 2010 scientists at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors received the distinguished Beckurts Prize for their pioneering work in researching direct green semiconductor laser. A milestone for many applications – this laser will open up new markets, for example, in ultra-compact mobile RGB laser projectors.
In addition to offering semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
components themselves, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors provides support for system solutions based on these components. This results in stuff for lighting, visualisation and sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...
technology. Examples are customer-specific LED colors (Color on Demand), intelligent sensor modules and brand-specific headlight designs.
LED (Light Emitting Diodes)
SMD and through-hole packages in all visible colors
Silicon Photodetectors
Phototransistors, PIN Photodiodes, Photo IC
Optical Sensors
SMT Reflective Sensors and Slotted Interrupters
Infrared Emitters
850 nm, 880 nm, 940 nm and 950 nm wavelength
High-Power Laser Diodes
Single emitters, laser bars and laser stacks