Corrosion Sensitivity of LED Packages

The penetration of solid state lighting applications is due to the promise of a low-cost reliable solution by means of application of low- and mid-power LEDs. These LED packages are manufactured by making use of new processes and materials which in principle introduces a series of known and unknown failure modes. Corrosion is a specific failure mode which limits the lifetime, and hence manufacturers realize that their package integrity needs to be improved. This chapter describes the sensitivity to corrosion of LED packages. In the first part, an introduction to chemical incompatibility is given. In the second part, different sources of corrosion are distinguished. The construction of LED packages and their vulnerability to corrosion is described in the third part. In the fourth part of this chapter, testing methods are reviewed and their effectiveness to simulate real-life conditions. A series of experimental setups is used to explore the behavior of LED packages in contaminated environments. A combined experimental–theoretical approach is used to describe the performance in certain conditions of pollution. This will be covered in the fifth part. The last part describes a list of classes of chemicals, often found in electronics and construction materials for luminaires that may affect LED performance and for this reason should be avoided for the design of SSL solutions.