EE482 Fall 2002 Lab #6

Lab #6

Light Source Characteristics

(2 weeks)

(Part 1: LED properties)

Contents:

1. Summary of Measurements 2

2. New Equipment 2

3. Introduction 2

4. LED measurements 3

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EE482 Fall 2002 Lab #6

1. Summary of Measurements
LED measurements
1. Measure the power output from an un-lensed light emitting diode vs. drive current. Calculate the
external efficiency ηex of the LED.
2. Measure the radiant intensity P(θ) [W/sr] as a function of viewing angle.
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3. Estimate the on-axis brightness of the LED [W sr m ].
4. Measure the polarization state of the output radiation.
5. Measure the optical spectrum of the LED for two different drive currents.

2. New Equipment
You will use the Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) in this lab. We’ll go over operation of this instrument in
the lab.

3. Introduction
In this lab you will be measuring the optical properties of a commercial light emitting diode (LED) made by
Lite On, part number LTST-C190CKT. Attached to this write-up is a data sheet for the device. This is a
surface emitting Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs) LED with a center wavelength of 660 nm. The
LED chip is encased in a plastic package as illustrated below.

LED chip

Chip dimensions
0.26×0.26 mm
Bond wire

Plastic
package

The LED is driven with a series resistor using either the lab bench supply or the function generator. You
will need to measure the current through the LED for several of the measurements, which can be
accomplished by monitoring the voltage drop across the series resistor.

The quantum efficiency of the LED can be quite good, on the order of 0.8. However, because of the
index mismatch between the AlGaAs and air, much of the light that is generated is totally internally
reflected and cannot escape. The external efficiency ηex is a measure of the number of photons that
escape per electron injected. By using an encapsulant, such as a plastic lens, more of the light can get
out of the AlGaAs semiconductor, and depending on the curvature and geometry of the lens may be able
to escape into the air. The use of such a lens can significantly improve the external quantum efficiency of
an LED.

Problem to include with writeup: Calculate the fraction of total generated light that can
escape from the front face of the encapsulated LED, assuming n=3.6 for the index of refraction of
the LED and n=1.5 for the plastic. To do this you need to calculate the solid angle for which rays

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EE482 Fall 2002 Lab #6

meet the surface at less than the critical angle. Remember that the rays need to not only get out
of the AlGaAs into the plastic, but also out of the plastic into the air. Use the power reflection
coefficient for normal incidence at each interface, and neglect the angle dependence of reflection
(Fresnel reflection). In other words, assume that the fraction of transmitted light is constant for all
light within the cone of angles up to the critical angle. Assuming an internal quantum efficiency
of 0.8, what is the external quantum efficiency for light that leaves the front face?

The actual external efficiency for the LED we are using will be somewhat higher than your calculation
since there are 5 exposed faces of the encapsulant. Capturing that light for your mesurement is a
different story, however, so your measured efficiency is likely to be as small or smaller than your
calculated efficiency.

4. LED measurements

1. Place the LED as close to the power meter as possible, and measure the output power as a function
of input current. Let the input current range from 0 to 20 mA. Calculate the external quantum
efficiency in terms of photons out per electron in.

Adjust the current to 10 mA. Move the power meter away from the LED a few centimeters (measure
this distance!), and use an iris with known area to make a calibrated measurement of the on-axis
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(forward looking) radiant intensity J(θ) [W sr ]. What is the on-axis radiant intensity? Convert this to
luminous intensity in units of millicandelas (mcd), where one candela or candle is one lumen per
steradian. You need to know the luminous efficiency at 660 nm to do this conversion. Does your
maximum value of luminous intensity match the value in the spec sheet?

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2. Measure the relative radiant intensity J(θ) [W sr ] as a function of viewing angle. Mount the LED
holder on a rotation stage so that the radiation angle can be continuously varied with respect to the
detector. To avoid interference from the room lights, modulate the LED at 600 Hz using the function
generator, (or use the mechanical chopper). The LED doesn’t like reverse voltages greater than
about 5 Volts. Adjust the generator for a DC offset so that you are pulsing the LED on and off with
20 mA peak current. Use a small iris placed in front of the detector. (You may also use the New
Focus detector/amplifier. The active area for this detector is approximately 1mm×1mm. In either
case, since you are making a relative measurement vs. angle, the actual detector area won’t affect
your results since it is the same for each measurement.)
Plot the relative detected AC voltage amplitude as a function of measurement angle. Does the
source look Lambertian, isotropic or some other weird function? Does it look like the radiant intensity
curve in the datasheet? Describe the geometry of the LED and package, and discuss your results and
whether or not you should always believe what you read in the spec sheet.
3. Estimate the on-axis brightness of the LED. The active area of the LED chip is about 0.26×0.26 mm.
4. Measure the polarization state of the output radiation.
5. Measure the optical spectrum of the emitted light. You should use the HP OSA, with a multimode
fiber to couple the light from the LED to the OSA. You might need a lens to help focus the light into
the fiber. Measure the center wavelength and bandwidth of the output spectrum.

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