UVC LEDs and Their Varied, Sometimes Surprising, Applications

UVC LEDs have progressed at a moderate pace since the early 2000’s and show development trends akin to those of visible wavelength LEDs. Researchers continue to improve UVC LED efficiencies, however manufacturer increases in wall plug efficiency have been outpaced by single chip radiometric powers increases, driven by commercial demand. This commercial demand can be segmented into regulated versus non-regulated applications and, increasingly since early 2020, applications where the germicidal efficacy may be questionable. This paper will discuss the landscape of UVC LED applications and the impact of regulations and perception. These applications touch a surprising breadth of industries with both critical and non-critical function.