Jan. 19, 2023
16,384 LEDs to revolutionize automotive lighting: Nichia and Infineon launch industry’s first high-definition micro-LED matrix solution
Munich, Germany, and Tokushima, Japan – 19 January 2023: Nichia Corporation and Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) announce the launch of the industry’s first fully integrated micro-LED (hereinafter µPLS light engine) light engine for high-definition (HD) adaptive driving beam applications.
Automotive LED lighting technology has developed rapidly in recent years as a means for vehicle manufacturers to enhance driving comfort and road safety. In this regard, matrix LED technology for adaptive driving beam has become an important headlight feature for selective road illumination. Three years ago, Infineon and Nichia announced the joint development of a high-definition (HD) light engine with more than 16,000 micro-LEDs for headlight applications. It has been a success. Collaborating with a European Tier1 company, the micro-LED matrix solution with this industry’s first fully integrated micro-LED light engine for HD adaptive driving beam applications which has been tested based on AEC (Automotive Electronics Council) qualification requirements will be seen in a German premium vehicle in 2023.
The µPLS light engine uses Nichia's unique in-house LED chip and micro-LED technology and an integrated LED driver IC from Infineon that can drive all 16,384 micro-LEDs individually using pulse-width modulation (PWM) control. Additionally, the driver IC monitors each micro-LED separately and provides on-chip temperature monitoring allowing for optimal thermal control. Integrated video interfaces enable high-speed transmission of the video signal from the light pattern generator unit. Unlike current HD matrix solutions, Infineon’s driver IC only activates the LEDs that are actually needed for a light pattern. This dramatically increases the energy efficiency of the µPLS light engine at much smaller form factor compared to micro-mirror-based HD matrix solutions in the market.
This allows for smaller and slimmer headlamp designs in the future. In addition, the µPLS light engine enables adjustments that can be digitally programmed at the factory or activated by the vehicle manufacturer or driver on demand. For example, the different requirements of left- and right-handed drivers can be considered, significantly increasing user-friendliness. With all these features, the new HD light significantly reduces design and production complexity for vehicle manufacturers.
Nichia continues to develop products that contribute to the more mobile society of the future, as represented by “C.A.S.E.” – “Connected”, “Autonomous”, “Shared & Services”, “Electric”.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG is a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Infineon drives decarbonization and digitalization with its products and solutions. The company has around 56,200 employees worldwide and generated revenue of about €14,2 billion in the 2022 fiscal year (ending 30 September). Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the OTCQX International over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
Further information is available at www.infineon.com
