LED chip maker Epistar had successfully developed a record efficacy of 168 lm/W for red-emitting AlGaInP LED chips in their lab.

The small-area LED chips measure 14x14 mil (0.36 x 0.36 mm), and have an efficacy of 180 lm/W at 6mA. The red LED chips have a horizontal structure to satisfy chip-on-board (COB) packages for lighting applications which require multiple chips mounted in series on non-conductive substrates.

Furthermore, these red chips could be combined with other colors to enable warm-white LEDs with higher efficacy and a better color rendering index than would be achieved through conventional blue LED conversion with phosphors.

Epistar noted that novel light-extracting technology had enabled an increase from 133 lm/W to 168 lm/W. The chart showed the new generation of Aquarius-series chips with higher efficacy and lower forward voltage as compared to previously announced AX14. The new LEDs were already in motion to transfer the technology to Epistar's product line. Further development of higher-efficacy AlGaInP LEDs was also under way.