Cooling high-power LEDs

摘要

Long been used in instruments and computers as visual indicators for signal integrity and operations status, LEDs are ideal choices due to their high reliability, low power use, and little-to-no-maintenance needs. Recent market interest in LEDs is as lighting devices. However, as illumination becomes the focus, power consumption has risen dramatically. Device heat fluxes rival those of CPUs and other semiconductor packages. Thus, the thermal management of LEDs has taken center stage for their successful implementation. It is important to remember that an LED is not a high-temperature, filament-type lighting device. While a single LED is a cold and efficient light source, high-power LED applications, including arrays, need thermal management similar to other semiconductor devices.