Date Announced: 10 Dec 2010 Representing the entire research team, Désirée Queren, Stephan Lutgen and Adrian Avramescu from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors today receive the distinguished Beckurts Prize for their pioneering work in researching direct green semiconductor lasers. This is a milestone for many applications – this laser will open up new markets, for example, in ultra-compact mobile RGB laser projectors.The availability of very small and low-cost red, blue and green semiconductor lasers is crucial for large-scale diffusion of RGB laser projection. The laser diodes enable production of low-cost, compact and efficient pico-projectors, which can be incorporated in mobile devices such as smart-phones or digital cameras. Due to the particular beam properties of lasers, these projectors have unlimited depth of sharpness and extremely high resolution, which go even beyond that of LED solutions. The low spectral bandwidth of semiconductor lasers enables a lifelike display of colours plus razor-sharp contrasts.OSRAM Opto Semiconductors only started developing direct blue laser diodes for RGB laser projection in 2006. Today these are used successfully in the first devices on the market. Based on the findings for the blue laser in the InGaN material system, the team managed within a very short time to break through the barrier to green from a wavelength of 500nm. In 2009 they took over the technological leadership in direct green laser diodes of >515nm with optical outputs more than 50mW.The Karl Heinz Beckurts Foundation grants the award to honour outstanding scientific and technical achievements, which give rise to discernible impetus promoted by the prize winners for industrial innovations in Germany. The 2010 prize is handed over on 10 December.The basic development of blue and green laser diodes and research into miniaturisation of systems in mobile laser projection are supported by project Molas – technologies for ultra-compact and mobile laser projection systems – as part of the “Optical components and systems for volume markets” funding initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (funding code FKZ 13N9373). Plus, OSRAM is working together with several German universities and research institutes in the innovative research field of nitride lasers. Désirée Queren for example wrote her dissertation based on a collaboration with the University of Erlangen. The foundation for the results with the semiconductor lasers was laid as early as 1998 through development work with UV lasers, especially in the project "Blue laser based on GaN for innovative storage systems”.ABOUT OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORSOSRAM is part of the Industry sector of Siemens and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Its subsidiary, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH in Regensburg (Germany), offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for lighting, sensor and visualization applications. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has production sites in Regensburg (Germany) and Penang (Malaysia). Its headquarters for North America is in Sunnyvale (USA), and for Asia in Hong Kong. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors also has sales offices throughout the world. For more information go to www.osram-os.com.
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