Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include an elongate chamber. A UV source includes a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including an active layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region. The active layer emits radiation having a peak wavelength in a UV range. The semiconductor device is positioned on a wall of the elongate chamber. An inner surface of the elongate chamber is reflective.

Abstract: A UV device includes a housing having a portion configured to be removably attached to a smart device, a UV light source disposed within the housing, wherein the UV light source is configured to provide output of UV light in response to an operating powered, a communication mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to receive instructions from the smart device, a control mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the control mechanism is coupled to the UV light source, and to the communication mechanism, wherein the control mechanism is configured to provide the operating power to the UV light source, in response to the instructions received from the smart device.

Abstract: A variety of applications for UV LEDs that are integrated into a system are described, where the UV light is used for disinfection of air or surfaces, or used to detect the scattering light by particles, or used for skin treatment. In one embodiment, a ceiling luminaire includes a sensor for detecting the presence of people in the room. The luminaire contains a first set of LEDs for generating white light, for illumination, and a second set of LEDs for generating UV light for disinfecting the room. When the sensor detects that no people are in the room, the system automatically controls the UV LEDs to turn on to disinfect the room. The white light LEDs may be independently controlled with a dimmer.

Abstract: A storage container includes an input portion for receiving and filtering a source liquid to form an output liquid, a storage portion for storing the filtered liquid, and a base portion disposed below the storage portion including a UV light source for providing transmitted UV light to the filtered liquid, a UV light detector disposed an optical path length away from the UV light source for detecting received UV light through the filtered liquid in response to the transmitted UV light, a processor for determining an absorption or a transmission percentage in response to the transmitted UV light and the received UV light, for determining a safe condition, in response to the absorption or the transmission percentage respectively not exceeding or exceeding predetermined criteria, and one or more indicators for indicating that the liquid is safe for consumption to a user, in response to the safe condition.

Abstract: In the present invention, a fabrication process for epitaxy onto back-side patterned substrate, where the substrate patterns were defined prior to epitaxy and therefore simplify post growth processing. Specifically, for LED devices, said fabrication process reduces the post growth processing steps required to obtain high LEE due to strong scattering of the back-side features defined on the substrate. The features defined on the back-side patterned substrate scatters strongly with light emitted from the LED devices. Methods of obtaining such features include wet and dry etching.

Abstract: A device for providing treated materials includes a storage portion comprising an enclosed region with sidewalls, an input portion and UV-LEDs, wherein the enclosed region stores material and includes a UV-responsive material, wherein the input portion receives the material, wherein the UV-LEDs provide UV-A illumination range within the enclosed region and the UV-responsive material inhibits contaminant formation upon the sidewalls in response to the UV-A illumination, and a material treatment portion having sidewalls, UV-LEDs and an output portion, wherein the sidewalls are configured to reflect UV light, wherein material treatment portion receives the material from the storage portion, wherein the UV-LEDs provide UV-B and/or UV-C illumination to treat or sanitize the material within the material treatment portion, and wherein the output portion is for providing output of the treated material.

Abstract: An water providing apparatus includes a input portion for receiving untreated water, a treatment portion for treating and outputting treated water having a UV treatment module for reducing pathogens, a filtering mechanism for reducing physical and chemical impurities, a UV analysis module for determining levels of the impurities in the untreated water and for determining levels of impurities in the treated water, a processing unit for determining whether the levels of impurities in the treated water exceed a threshold, a reporting module for outputting the levels of the impurities in the untreated and treated water to a remote monitoring service, and a water output portion for providing the treated water if safe, and for inhibiting output of the treated water if unsafe.

Abstract: A variety of applications for UV LEDs that are integrated into a system are described, where the UV light is used for disinfection of air or surfaces, or used to detect the scattering light by particles, or used for skin treatment. In one embodiment, the UV light from the UV LEDs is generated internal to a housing and is optically coupled to a transparent or translucent surface touched by the human finger, such as a touch screen, a fingerprint scanner, backlit buttons or keys, a toggle of a light switch, a door knob, etc. The UV light is emitted through the touched surface to periodically disinfect the surface. A visual indication of the UV LEDs being energized is provided for safety, such as energizing visible light LEDs or a phosphor on a portion of the touched surface.

Abstract: A UV light emitting apparatus for illuminating a subject matter includes a first UV-LED and second UV-LED configured to output different frequencies of light within in a frequency band from about 210 nm to about 365 nm, a memory for storing configuration data, a processing unit for determining power control signals in response to the configuration data, and a power supply for providing power to the first and the second UV-LEDs in response to the power control signals, wherein the first and the second UV-LEDs provide UV light at frequencies directed to one or more UV light sensitivity peaks of the subject matter.

Abstract: A method of growing an AlGaN semiconductor material utilizes an excess of Ga above the stoichiometric amount typically used. The excess Ga results in the formation of band structure potential fluctuations that improve the efficiency of radiative recombination and increase light generation of optoelectronic devices, in particular ultraviolet light emitting diodes, made using the method. Several improvements in UV LED design and performance are also provided for use together with the excess Ga growth method. Devices made with the method can be used for water purification, surface sterilization, communications, and data storage and retrieval.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures involving multiple quantum wells provide increased efficiency of UV and visible light emitting diodes (LEDs) and other emitter devices, particularly at high driving current. LEDs made with the new designs have reduced efficiency droop under high current injection and increased overall external quantum efficiency. The active region of the devices includes separation layers configured between the well layers, the one or more separation regions being configured to have a first mode to act as one or more barrier regions separating a plurality of carriers in a quantum confined mode in each of the quantum wells being provided on each side of the one or more separation layers and a second mode to cause spreading of the plurality of carriers across each of the quantum wells to increase an overlap integral of all of the plurality of carriers. The devices and methods of the invention provide improved efficiency for solid state lighting, including high efficiency ultraviolet LEDs.

Abstract: In an example, the present invention provides a light-emitting device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in a range of 210 to 360 nanometers. The device has a substrate member comprising a surface region. The device has a thickness of AlGaN material formed overlying the surface region and an aluminum concentration characterizing the AlGaN material having a range of 0 to 100%. The device has a boron doping concentration characterizing the AlGaN material having a range between 1e15 to 1e20 atoms/centimeter3.

Abstract: A UV device includes a housing having a portion configured to be removably attached to a smart device, a UV light source disposed within the housing, wherein the UV light source is configured to provide output of UV light in response to an operating powered, a communication mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to receive instructions from the smart device, a control mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the control mechanism is coupled to the UV light source, and to the communication mechanism, wherein the control mechanism is configured to provide the operating power to the UV light source, in response to the instructions received from the smart device.

Abstract: A method for a hand-held device comprising illuminating, with a first UV LED associated with the hand-held device, a surface of an object with UV light, acquiring with a visible-light image sensor on the hand-held device, a first image of the surface of the object while the surface of the object is illuminated by the first UV LED, performing with the processor in the hand-held device, a function upon the first image to determine a type of contaminant disposed upon the surface of the object, determining with the processor in the hand-held device, sanitation techniques to perform in response to the type of contaminant that is determined, and displaying with a touch-screen display on the hand-held device, the sanitation techniques to the user.

Abstract: A method for a smart-device comprising receiving a user selection of an icon on a display, initiating acquisition of a first image of a target surface using a camera in response to receiving the selection, directing power to an UV-LED disposed proximate to the camera, wherein the power is provided to the UV-LEDs for less than about 0.5 seconds, while power is provided to the UV-LED, initiating acquisition of a second image of a target surface using the camera, determining an image visually highlighting a contaminant on the target surface in response to the first and second images, determining an object type associated with the target surface, in response to the first image, determining geographic data, and storing the image, the object type, and the geographic data in a memory.

Abstract: An LED device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation ranging from about 200 nm to 365 nm, the device. The device includes a substrate member, the substrate member being selected from sapphire, silicon, quartz, gallium nitride, gallium aluminum nitride, or others. The device has an active region overlying the substrate region, the active region comprising a light emitting spatial region comprising a p-n junction and characterized by a current crowding feature of electrical current provided in the active region. The light emitting spatial region is characterized by about 1 to 10 microns. The device includes an optical structure spatially disposed separate and apart the light emitting spatial region and is configured to facilitate light extraction from the active region.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting device includes receiving a UV transmissive substrate, forming a first UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride upon the UV transmissive substrate using a first deposition technique at a temperature less than about 800 degrees Celsius or greater than about 1200 degrees Celsius, forming a second UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride upon the first UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride using a second deposition technique that is different from the first deposition technique, at a temperature within a range of about 800 degrees Celsius to about 1200 degrees Celsius, forming an n-type layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride layer upon the second UV transmissive layer, forming one or more quantum well structures comprising aluminum gallium nitride upon the n-type layer, and forming a p-type nitride layer upon the one or more quantum well structures.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting device includes receiving a UV transmissive substrate, forming a first UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride upon the UV transmissive substrate using a first deposition technique at a temperature less than about 800 degrees Celsius or greater than about 1200 degrees Celsius, forming a second UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride upon the first UV transmissive layer comprising aluminum nitride using a second deposition technique that is different from the first deposition technique, at a temperature within a range of about 800 degrees Celsius to about 1200 degrees Celsius, forming an n-type layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride layer upon the second UV transmissive layer, forming one or more quantum well structures comprising aluminum gallium nitride upon the n-type layer, and forming a p-type nitride layer upon the one or more quantum well structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides an LED device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation ranging from about 200 nm to 365 nm and a method. The device has a substrate member, the substrate member being selected from sapphire, silicon, quartz, gallium nitride, gallium aluminum nitride, or others and an active region overlying the substrate region. The active region comprises a light emitting spatial region comprising a p-n junction and characterized by a current crowding feature of electrical current provided in the active region. The device has an optical structure spatially disposed separate and apart the light emitting spatial region and is configured to facilitate light extraction from the active region.

Abstract: In the present invention, a fabrication process for epitaxy onto back-side patterned substrate, where the substrate patterns were defined prior to epitaxy and therefore simplify post growth processing. Specifically, for LED devices, said fabrication process reduces the post growth processing steps required to obtain high LEE due to strong scattering of the back-side features defined on the substrate. The features defined on the back-side patterned substrate scatters strongly with light emitted from the LED devices. Methods of obtaining such features include wet and dry etching.