Crystal IS Inc of Green Island, NY, USA, an Asahi Kasei company that makes proprietary ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UVC LEDs), has celebrated its 20th anniversary, spanning its history from R&D to full commercial production of deep UV LEDs, in the course of which it has been granted 34 US patents.
“We brought the first commercial semiconductor based on native aluminium nitride (AlN) substrates to market,” notes president & CEO Larry Felton. “We now produce and ship UVC LEDs to innovative companies creating new products for homes and hospitals where disinfection is a priority.”
Five years ago, Asahi Kasei acknowledged the potential of UVC LEDs with its acquisition of Crystal IS. As part of Asahi Kasei, Crystal IS has effectively moved from R&D to full production of UVC LEDs.
Crystal IS has since transitioned to 2 inch substrates for all commercial production of UVC LEDs. With this increased capacity, it now meets the volume and cost pressures of companies designing disinfection products for both healthcare and consumer applications.
Evolution from R&D to commercial manufacturing facilitated production of two key product lines – Optan for spectroscopic applications in analytical and life-science instrumentation and Klaran for water, air and surface disinfection. Organizations using Crystal IS’ UVC LEDs include Chelsea Technologies Group, Marion Research and Sensorex. To accommodate increased commercial capacity, Crystal IS has expanded its manufacturing footprint in Green Island as well as in Fuji, Japan.
Crystal IS notes that its staff have been called to speak at industry events including IUVA and sit on association committees where industry standards are determined. The firm is also currently represented on the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and ASHRAE industry standards committees.