Prior to the Cyberlux acquisition, SPE Technologies, Inc. held the worldwide exclusive license to a number of pending patents for the Scattered Photon Extraction(TM) (SPE) technology, developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
SPE technology relates to white, phosphor-converted LEDs. In SPE packages, the phosphor or other down-conversion material, such as quantum dot materials, are placed at locations remote to the LEDs.
In most commercial LEDs, the phosphor is either deposited directly onto the chip surface (sometimes known as conformal coating), or is dispersed in the encapsulation material, such as silicone, that is placed over the LED chip.
In these conventional LED packages, a significant portion of the light emitted by the phosphor is absorbed and lost as waste heat. In the SPE format, the position of the phosphor and the shape of the optic surrounding the LED chip are designed to extract more of the down-converted light.
"The SPE technology increases light output and efficacy of white LEDs, and could play a important role in the evolution of white LEDs for lighting in homes and offices," said Nadarajah Narendran, Director of Research at Rensselaer's Lighting Research Center, where the technology was developed.
Mark Schmidt, president and COO of Cyberlux said that the deal gives his company the ability to ultimately hold the proprietary rights to a technology that could provide major advancements in the LED marketplace..
"With the development of the SPE technology, the Rensselaer researchers have developed what we believe to be novel white LED packages that may achieve a brighter, more efficient illumination system," added Schmidt. "We hope that this acquisition will bring a greater value to our company and compliment our existing suite of products sold both to the commercial and residential lighting market."
