BLUE 445 to 485nm Gallium Nitride and Indium Gallium Nitride on Al2O3

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This is page one of the blue LEDs section; please go here for page two.


Spectrum of a typical 470nm blue LED.

http://www.ledsales.com.au..., Nichia 3mm oval blue LED (NSPB346CST), retail AU 60¢ (US 55¢)
Received 11-05-07, tested 11-07-07
 This is a 3mm oval LED in a diffused, blue-tinted epoxy case. It produces a very wide, very smooth beam. The beam is typical for a diffused lens LED lamp.
It is a Nichia NSPB346CST "super oval" blue LED.


Measures 270mcd at a drive current of 19.28mA.
Viewing angle is avertised at 110° by 50°
This is a very wide-angle LED; it also has a diffused lens, and if I've told you once, I've told you a million times:
Wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values!!!!!!!!!


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.




http://www.ledsales.com.au..., Agilent blue LED (part # not available), retail AU 40¢ (US 37¢)
Received 11-05-07, tested 11-07-07
 This is a 5mm round LED in a water-clear epoxy case. It produces a wide, (fairly) smooth, mainly circular beam with a very slightly brighter ring near the center. The beam is smoother than usual for a nonphosphor LED lamp.


Measures 3,450mcd at a drive current of 19.28mA.
Viewing angle appears to be 30-35°
This is a fairly wide-angle LED, and if I've told you once, I've told you a million times:
Wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values!!!!!!!!!


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.




Radio Shack, blue LED, 276-316
Purchased 06-08-07, tested 06-09-07
 This is a 5mm round LED in a water-clear epoxy case. It produces a (fairly) smooth, mainly circular beam with a brighter hotspot in the center.


Measures 2,930mcd at a drive current of 19.28mA.
Viewing angle is advertised at 30°.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.




LEDs International, blue LED, L15WAB35
Received 02-20-07, tested 02-23-07
 This is a 5mm round LED in a water-clear epoxy case. It produces a fairly smooth circular beam with a brighter hotspot in the center.


Measures 1,940mcd at a drive current of 19.28mA.
Viewing angle appears to be 75-85°
This is a wide-angle LED, and if I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times:
Wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values!!!!!!!!!


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.




LEDs International, blue super flux LED, L1SFWAB35
Received & tested 02-20-07
 This is a super flux ("spider") LED in a water-clear epoxy case. It produces a mainly circular beam with an unusually smooth profile for a non-phosphor lamp.


Measures 2,100mcd at a drive current of 70mA.
Viewing angle appears to be ~75°.
This is a wide-angle LED, and if I've told you once, I've told you 100 times:
Wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values!!!!!!!!!


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.




www.ledshoppe.com, blue 5mm LED
Received & tested on 01-16-07
 This is a blue LED in a water-clear 5mm epoxy package.



Intensity measures 4,220mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter with a drive current of 19.28mA.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.



5mm 0.5 watt blue LED, LUMITRONIX®
(Rec'd 06-27-06, tested 07-15-06)
This is a blue LED, which emits at 470-475nm in the blue region of the spectrum.

The LED is rated at 0.5 watt, and is designed to be driven at 125mA.


At a test current of 128mA, intensity was measured at 4,840mcd.
Remember, wider viewing angles always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values.
I'm not equipped to measure beam angles at all, but it is published as 75°.
Vf was measured at 3.636 volts.

Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this blue LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



5mm blue LED, Excellence Opto. Inc.
(Rec'd & tested on 03-23-06)
This is a blue LED, which emits at 470-475nm in the blue region of the spectrum.

The LED has a dual-bond construction; the manufacturer is not known.


At a test current of 19.28mA, intensity was measured at 1,670mcd.
Vf was measured at 3.161 volts.
I'm not equipped to measure beam angles at all. Looks like ~25° to me.

Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this blue LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



5mm blue LED, Manshun Int'l Ltd, part # YLUB5111A-MM
(Rec'd 03-22-06, tested 03-23-06)
This is a blue LED, which emits at 465-475nm in the blue region of the spectrum.

The LED has a dual-bond construction; it is apparently manufactured by Manshun Int'l Ltd. of Hong Kong.


At a test current of 19.28mA, intensity was measured at 2,910mcd.
Published intensity values range from 1,560mcd to 2,180mcd.
Vf was measured at 3.065 volts.
I'm not equipped to measure beam angles at all. It is published as 15°.

Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this blue LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



Lamina Ceramics Blue LED Array w/Heatsink, Digi-Key, $11.97
(Rec'd & tested 02-21-06)
A fan of the website sent me one of these big guys.
This is a blue LED array (module), which emits at 468-470mn in the blue region of the spectrum. It arrived to me already mounted to a beefy heatsink, as shown in the photograph directly below.

The array is composed of 7 LEDs with 6 dice (light-emitting chips) in each LED.
This equals 42 dice in total per array.


Photograph of the LED array mounted to a large heatsink.
The LED itself is that white thing on top of the heatsink.


Here is another photograph of it.


Macro photograph showing all seven LEDs on the Lamina Ceramics array.

Power consumption is published at 4.41 watts (10.5 volts at 420mA). Stated outut is 22 lumens; however you need a large and expensive instrument called an integrating sphere to measure light in lumens, and I do not own or have access to one of these instruments.


Photograph on the test target at 12".
Measures 16,400mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

Remember, wider viewing angles always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values.
The viewing angle appears to be ~160°.

Forward voltage (Vf) was 10.06 volts at a forward current (If) of 422mA
for the this photograph and the one below.


Photograph of the light output at ~10 feet.
Light color is less whitish and more saturated blue than these photographs indicate.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this blue array-type LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



5mm blue LED, origin unknown
(Rec'd 01-06-06, tested 02-09-06)
A fan of the website sent me a number of different LEDs; and 1 of these little guys was among the goodies.
This is a blue LED, which emits at 468-470mn in the blue region of the spectrum.

The LED has a dual-bond construction; I don't know who actually manufactured it.


At a test current of 19.28mA, intensity was measured at 6,160mcd.
Vf was measured at 3.117 volts.
I'm not equipped to measure beam angles at all. Looks like about 18-20° to me.



5mm blue LED, origin unknown
(Rec'd 01-06-06, tested 01-22-06)
A fan of the website sent me a number of different LEDs; and 2 of these little rascals were among the goodies.
These are labelled as cyan LEDs; though they are actually blue, which emit at 475-478mn in the blue region of the spectrum.

The LED has a dual-bond construction; I don't know who actually manufactured it.


At a test current of 19.28mA, intensity was measured at 4,630mcd.
Vf was measured at 3.077 volts.
I'm not equipped to measure beam angles at all. Looks like about 35-40° to me.
Remember, wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values.



5mm blue LED, # BUBC1363BA13 (www.besthongkong.com)
Received 11-27-05, tested 11-28-05
 This is a 5mm water-clear epoxy bodied LED from BestHongKong that was sent to me by somebody who works there. He also sent three packs of white LEDs; they will be tested for this website as time permits.

The dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be approximately 470nm.
The beam is a medium spot, and consists of a wide central hotspot with a dimmer but still brighter than usual corona.


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target at ~12".
Intensity measures 6,050mcd at a Vf of 3.220 volts and an If of 19.28mA.
A Meterman LM631 light meter was used for this measurement.
This LED has a published viewing angle of 20°.



10mm blue LED, # BUBC1363BA13 (www.besthongkong.com)
Received 10-14-05, tested 10-15-05
 This is a 10mm water-clear epoxy bodied LED from BestHongKong that was sent to me by a fan of this website.

The dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be approximately 470nm.
The beam is narrow, and consists of an irregularly-shaped central hotspot with a bright ring around it.


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target at ~12".
Intensity measures 10,720mcd at a Vf of 3.335 volts and an If of 19.28mA.
The LED appears to have a viewing angle of ~12°.



5mm low Vf LED, $2.55 (www.lumex.com)
Received & tested 08-13-05
 This is a 5mm water-clear epoxy bodied LED that was sent to me by a fan of this website. It is unique in that it is designed to run from just 1.5 volts, because of a voltage step-up circuit built into the LED itself. The dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be approximately 478nm.

This is Digi-Key part number 67-1876, and is available at this URL.


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target at ~12".
Intensity measures just 70mcd at a Vf of 1.526 volts and an If of 2.59mA.
The LED appears to have a viewing angle of 25-30°.

Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



5mm flashing blue LED, $TBA
Received & tested 06-14-05; movie made 05-08-08
 This is a 5mm water-clear epoxy bodied LED that was sent to me by a fan of this website. It flashes all by itself with flashes that have short blinks and a pulse repetition rate of ~3Hz (~3 blinks per second). The dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be approximately 468nm.


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target at ~12".
Because this is a flashing lamp, I cannot measure its intensity or current consumption.
The LED appears to have a viewing angle of 14-18°.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the LED happily blinking away.
This clip is approximately 1.28 megabytes (1,366,012 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than six minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

That sound you might hear is an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants playing on ye 'ol boob tube.
The product is not sound-sensitive; the sound may be ignored or muted if desired.



The Fox Group, 460nm 5mm blue LED, $TBA
Received 06-13-05, tested 06-14-05
 This is a 5mm water-clear epoxy bodied LED that emits a narrower than usual peak wavelength of 460nm.

The peak wavelength is stated at 460nm with a tolerance of just +-1nm. It doesn't matter if you use just a couple of these or a whole truckload, each LED will look like the last. The industry calls this "repeatability"


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target at ~12".
Measures 1,170mcd at a drive current of 20.52mA and a viewing angle of 15-20°.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



5mm Water-Clear Flashing Blue LED, LEDSET.COM
(Received 01-26-05, tested 01-28-05)
I've never seen a flashing blue LED before, so when my housemate sent me the URL to this website via email, I wasted no time in ordering a small package of LEDs that included one of these blue flashing ones.


This is a photograph of the LED itself. That black thing on top of the upper anvil is the flashing circuit.

Dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be around 468nm, right about where it ought to be for this LED.

This lamp blinks all by itself at a rate of approximately 1.5Hz (three blinks every two seconds).


Photograph of the LED's beam on the test target.
I cannot measure intensity or current consumption because this is a flashing lamp.
Viewing angle appears to be about 15 degrees.



5mm Water-Clear Blue LED, www.etgtech.com, # ETG-5MN470-30
(Received ??-??-??, tested 07-07-04)
Found these LEDs while looking for another product in response to an email I received.
This is a 5mm LED in a water-clear epoxy case, and uses what I believe is a Cree MegaBright die (light-emitting chip) to produce its light.

Dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be around 472nm, right about where it ought to be for this lamp.


Measures 2,610mcd with a test current of 26mA.
Viewing angle appears to be about 30 degrees.



5mm Diffused Blue LED, sold by www.world-led.com, unknown model
(Received 06-14-04, tested 06-22-04)
I received two of these LEDs from a website visitor (R.W.) in the Netherlands on June 14, 2004 (thank you!!!), along with two phosphor pink LEDs and two 1970s vintage red LEDs (thank you for those too!!!).

This is a 450nm blue LED in a 5mm diffused (milky) epoxy package.

What makes this LED different from other blue LEDs that are common isn't that diffused case, but the 450nm wavelength. Most other blue LEDs are in the 460-475nm range.

The die (light-emitting chip) in this LED is of the artificial sapphire substrate, two-bond type. The bond wires are connected at the flat ends of the die, not the corners. That pretty much rules out Nichia and Cree as the die manufacturer right away.


Here is a photograph of the LED's beam on the target from ~12".
Although it is a diffused lens LED, it isn't as diffuse as others, so I could get a beam shot of it.
Measures 540mcd with a test current of 26mA.
Remember, this is a diffused lens LED, so it's fine that the reading seems low. I think it's quite bright for a diffused lens LED, and if you intend to use a diffused lens LED in your application, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this LED.



UltraLEDs 5mm Blue LED, (www.ultraleds.co.uk)
(Recieved on 03-04-04, tested 05-02-04)
This is a 5mm (T1 3/4) LED in a clear epoxy package that a fan of the website sent in early March 2004.

It produces a deep blue beam with a dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) of approximately 460nm. My spectrometer is still broken, so I cannot confirm this with a measurement.

The beam is fairly smooth, with a sharp drop-off at its perimeter like the photograph below shows.


Measures 1,700mcd at a test current of 17mA.
The viewing angle appears to be around 20°. I don't have an instrument to measure this with though, so this is just a guess.



Chi Wing 5mm Diffused Blue LED, (http://stores.ebay.com/chiwingledproductshop)
(Recieved on 04-30-04, tested 05-01-04)
Both these LEDs and 10,000mcd Chi Wing white ones were sent to me by a fan of the website. I believe he wanted them reviewed, so here ya go. ;-)
This is an example of Chi Wing's diffused blue LED. These are sold as "Blue Frosted LEDs", and are rated at 3,000 to 4,000mcd. This is a very high value for a diffused lens LED, but it looks quite bright to the eye.
They claim a viewing angle of 15°, but just by looking at the emission, I think it's wider.


Photo of the LED's beam on the test target from ~12".
Measures 3,900mcd with a test current of 26mA.



The Fox Group, blue LED, 5mm, clear case
Received and tested on 04-06-04
These LEDs aren't meant to be super brilliant "eye killers", they were meant to be used as pilot lights in all kinds of household appliances and automotive equipment. They can also be used in indoor message and sign boards. What sets these LEDs apart from other blue LEDs is that their peak wavelength is exceptionally stable, from LED to LED, and even from wafer to wafer. The peak wavelength stated for these LEDs is 460nm, give or take 1nm. Now that is a tight tolerance. My spectrometer does not work, otherwise I'd test these LEDs on that. Using my eyes, these LEDs look like they're emitting a 460nm light, and I do not at all doubt the claims.

These LEDs come in standard 5mm (T1 3/4) clear epoxy packages.


Measures 1,010mcd at a test current of 24.8mA, using a Meterman LM631 light meter and a Hosfelt LED tester on the 30mA receptacle. The viewing angle is listed at 20°. I do not have the equipment for measuring viewing angles, so please don't ask.
That "purply" hotspot in the center is caused by the camera, and does not at all appear in the LED's actual beam.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



The Fox Group, blue LED, 3mm, diffused case
Received and tested on 04-06-04
Again, these LEDs aren't meant to be eye-stabbingly bright, but are meant to be used as pilot lights in household appliances and automotive equipment. I believe these can be used in indoor sign boards too. Like the LED immediately above, the peak wavelength is stated at 460nm with a tolerance of just +-1nm. It doesn't matter if you use just a couple of these or a whole truckload, each LED will look like the last. The industry calls this "repeatability"

These LEDs come in standard 3mm (T1) diffused epoxy packages.


Measures 90mcd with a test current of 24.8mA, using the same instruments as the LED directly above. The viewing angle is listed at 20°. I do not have the equipment for measuring viewing angles, so please don't ask. This is a diffused lens LED, so it won't have as prominent a hotspot or edges as the LED above does.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



Chi Wing 5mm Blue LED, (http://stores.ebay.com/chiwingledproductshop)
(Rec'd and Tested 02-06-2004)
A fan of the website sent 4 of these, since I didn't have any Chi-Wing blue LEDs on this site yet. Now I do, thank you!!!
These LEDs are packaged in standard water-clear 5mm (T1 3/4) epoxy packages. The LED appears to emit a dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) right around 470nm, right about where it should be. My spectrometer is broken, so this is an "eyeballed" value.


Beam on my target from ~12" away. Test current is approximately 26mA, Vf is 3.18 volts, using a Hosfelt LED tester.
Brightness is measured at 4,600mcd (with the LED tester), using a Meterman LM631 light meter.

From the info given on Chi-Wing's site:
      Luminous Intensity: 3,000mcd Typical, 4,000mcd Max
      Reverse Voltage: 5.0 Volts
      DC Forward Voltage: 3.3 Volts Typical, 3.5 Volts Max
      DC Forward Current: 20mA
      Viewing Angle: 15 Degrees
      Lead Soldering Temperature: 260 Degrees C. for 5 Seconds



Nichia America, part # NSPB500S, 5mm round, 15°
(Received 11-03-03, tested 12-18-03)
In November 2003, I received an envelope from Nichia, and in it were several LEDs and a small flashlight. Here is one of those LEDs, the blue NSPB500S, a 5mm LED in a standard, water-clear epoxy package.

When illuminated, the LED appears to emit a 460-465nm blue light; a bit shorter in wavelength than your average blue LEDs using this chemistry. My spectrometer is broken, so I'll have to "eyeball" it...yup, it's blue alright. :-) Looks to be close to 465nm, which is right where this LED in this ranking ought to be. Brightness for a standard ranking NSPB500S should be 3,460mcd at a drive current of 20mA.

According to the bag, this LED is a Rank WS component.
The W part indicates its wavelength range, which is 464nm to 475nm.


Test current 27.5mA, Vf=3.36 volts
Used the LED Tester from Hosfelt Electronics.
Brightness is measured at 3,620mcd using a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Omron DR-blue
Tested on 10-21-03
I received a couple of samples of these LEDs earlier this year (2003); I'm sorry it took so long to get them on my website.


Here is an Omron DR Blue (Double Reflection Blue) LED next to a regular 5mm LED. The DR Blue is that funny looking one on the left.
There is a small, but powerful lens moulded into the epoxy encapsulant at the LED's top, and a large die cup or bowl moulded into the LED's cathode connection. This combination produces a slightly wider than usual beam with a central brighter area and none of those nasty artifacts outside the center.


As you can see, the beam is nice and smooth, and slightly greener (between 475nm and 478nm) than many of their competitor's LEDs.

One sample measures 1,040mcd, the other measures 1,070mcd.

Both were measured with a Meterman LM631 and on a Hosfelt Electronics LED tester using the 20mA receptacle with a test current measured at 16mA on the DMM's 2A scale.

I don't have the equipment necessary for measuring beam angles, but just by eyeballing it, the beam angle appears to be approximately 25 degrees with a soft (not abrupt) fall-off toward the edges.



Oriol 0SB-T515 5mm round
Oriol is a new player in the GaN LED game, and this is their latest offering: a blue LED in a typical 5mm round package. Unlike their white LED, this narrow beam blue LED produces a very unusual and one-of-a-kind beam distribution pattern.

Oriol white LED

Notice the unusual star-shaped central hotspot surrounded by a thick ring. This is the kind of beam configuration you might normally find in very narrow beam red, yellow, and orange LEDs made by Toshiba (their artifact rings are usually thin and bright); and is rarely seen in GaN products. The lamp was placed 12" from the target for this picture.

Intensity with the beam center directed at the photosensor center was measured at 3100mcd with a drive current of 20 milliamps. Wavelength (eyeballed) appears to be a bit longer than the usual 470nm for these devices.



Wilycon "Ultra Blue" 5mm round
This is a 5mm round LED in a water-clear case. Brightness was measured at 4280mcd at 20mA, and the beam angle appears to be in the 15-20° range.
beam
Dominant wavelength appears to be in the 469-472nm range.

Blue: $450/Kpcs or $0.45/pc for 50000pcs order.
small qty: USD$1.75/pc Minimum USD$10 worth.



AXT Optoelectronics, part # LE470-C2-E, 5mm round, 15°, price/availability not known
This is the blue companion to AXT Opto's blue-green and green 5mm LEDs. It outputs a bright, slightly greenish blue light in a more consistent than average 15° beam.


Maximum brightness for any LED in this lot was 3896mcd.

The beam is roughly circular, and most samples tested had a 15° divergence. A couple had noticeably wider beams. Overall, the beam from this LED has a less noticeable ring feature than most other 5mm superbright blue LEDs.

Most samples tested seem to have a wavelength range of 473-476nm, and a few of them were noticeably less green, probably coming in closer to 465 to 467nm.



Kingbright L7113NBC, narrow band 450nm blue
This is a deep blue, almost blue-violet LED based on Cree's super new 450nm narrow band blue chip. When you fire one of these babies up, you will notice right away the blue color is different than anything you have ever seen come out of an LED. When viewed directly, the LED appears to be a vibrant, piercing deep blue; but the spot of light it projects on a wall can at times have a slightly violetish tinge. This is as close to a violet LED as you're likely to see for awhile. (NOTE: See the Violet LEDs page for an update on this!)


Spectrum of this LED

This LED needs 3.9 to 4.1 volts at 20mA, and it has a viewing angle of approximately 15°. The peak wavelength is 445 to 450nm with a spectral line halfwidth of approximately 20nm; unusually narrow for blue LEDs. There is some broadband emission which all blue LEDs have, but the total amount is small; probably less than 2%. Because of this, the LED color is not at all whitish.
Most samples have a beam consisting of a thick ring with a dimmer interior; however a few from the bag have produced beams with less of a ring tendency than others.

Homemade LED lamp using this LED Homemade LED lamp using this LED
A fan of this website used several of these LEDs to make this wonderful lamp.

The die in this LED is a Cree C450-CB290-E1000 chip, and like all Cree LEDs, is a single bond style based on a silicon carbide substrate. Most of the other LEDs on this page are based on artificial sapphire.


Brightness was measured at close to 500mcd maximum. The camera cannot resolve
wavelengths this short; in reality the color you see on the target is a very deep blue violet.



Contour beam image.


Spatial distribution curve.
LED and camera were 24" from screen for both of these images.
Created using the ProMetric System from Radiant Imaging.
The LED was substantially overdriven (to 38mA) in order to get a bright enough image for the camera.


Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of this LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.




470nm blue SMD (0603), International Systems Processing (ISP Korea), $TBA
If you like your LEDs tiny, you'll love these.
Packaged in a 0603 SMD case, this blue LED from ISP Korea isn't for everyone, and here's why:

blue SMD

Although I am not equipped to handle SMD components, this website is.
Please jump to to the SMD page for info on this component.



Nichia part # NSPB500BS, color rank "V", 460nm GaN, $1.60 to $8 D.O.Q.
I've seen a lot of Nichia's blue LEDs, in a number of shapes, sizes, and beam configurations. But this is the bluest one I've come across. This is their standard issue 15° 3000mcd blue model, but it comes from the bluest bin in the factory and also seems a tad brighter than their usual run.


Spectrum of this LED.

You see, when they make blue LEDs, they come out all kinds of funny shades of blue. Some greener, some bluer. These are sorted by how deep a blue color they emit and then placed in bins with other LEDs that have a similar color, so that when you need LEDs of a consistent color, that's what you get.


Bright, slightly irregular beam characteristic of this LED type.

Brightness is on par with Nichia's better (middle of rank "S") and they should easily be the brightest Nichia blue LED you are likely to come across in the near future. Figure these to be in the 3500 to 4000mcd range.

To the eye, these have a piercing, pure blue color that at times, can have a tendency to look ever so slightly violetish. They may also have a slightly "fuzzy" appearance from a distance, especially for those who wear corrective lenses. This is caused by the way blue light is focused differently than other, longer wavelengths. And when the blue is this intense, the fuzziness becomes more noticeable as you look toward the source. When a true violet LED finally becomes available, this effect will become much more intense. When or if I ever get my hands on a true violet, I will discuss this visual phenomenon in more detail.

To keep you occupied in the meantime, try this experiment at home:
Get a bright red LED and a bright blue one (the deepest blue you can find). Connect the LEDs together in series (+ from one LED to the - of the other), add a 100 ohm resistor in series to the LEDs, and connect them to 6 volts DC, such as from 4 "AA" batteries in a cheap Radio Shack battery holder.
Set the LEDs up about a foot apart from one another and turn them on if they aren't already lit.

Darken the room lights, get about ten or twenty feet away and look at the LEDs. The blue one will look a lot larger than the red one and may have a "furry" appearance to it, yet they are both the same size. 



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