While Osram's thin-film chip technology ensures that almost all the light produced in the semiconductor chip is provided at the surface, a low forward voltage reduces the amount of power required by the LED.
In common with other LEDs from Osram, the Golden Dragon package contains highly-efficient thin-film chips. The ThinGaN chips (indium gallium nitride) produce 64 lm from an operating current of 500 mA instead of 40 lm.
Developers have also succeeded in reducing the forward voltage from 3.8 V to 3.2 V. An optimised package and a special carrier material for the chip ensure excellent heat dissipation, claims the company.
A further advantage of the new products is that Osram's proprietary colour grouping scheme ensures uniform light in one white group with no discernible differences in colour. The colour location falls within the standardised ECE white field, which means that the LEDs can be used in all headlights without restriction.
Like all LEDs, Golden Dragons are relatively small and robust. They take up very little space in the headlight and can withstand jolts and vibrations. They last so long that in most cases they will outlive the vehicle, so they will never need replacing.