Until now only green light was generated via laser with laser-based projectors - LEDs were responsible for the blue and red primary colours. With phaser technology, where 'phaser' stands for phosphor and laser, Osram for the first time presents a process which achieves outstanding image quality with projection by the use of laser, made possible by blue laser diodes. The beams of the diodes are focused directly onto a wheel coated with red, yellow and green phosphor. When the wheel rotates the colours are generated in sequence, and rapidly enough to form a uniform image for the human eye. The new projection technology ensures brilliant images on screens with colours that are true-to-life. The first projectors featuring phaser technology will be launched on the market at the end of the year by a Taiwanese customer of lighting manufacturer Osram.
In contrast to standard discharge lamps, the phaser module with a service life of 20,000 hours is as durable as the life of the projector itself. A projector in offices used for eight hours daily can thus be operated almost seven years long without failure of the light source, whereas re-lamping for classic discharge lamps is usually required after a quarter of the time. With phaser projectors, the light is also immediately visible without delay and with complete brightness.
A cooling down phase following operation is not necessary. Connected with suitable electronics, the phaser module offers yet another advantage: in contrast to discharge lamps, it can be dimmed from 100% to 0% steplessly and within milliseconds so that brightness is optimally adapted to image content. Light is automatically dimmed for example when dark images are viewed, for example with a horror film.
Luminous flux is comparable to a 180W discharge lamp, and is thus suitable for presentations in offices and schools, for image shows and is also ideal for home cinema entertainment. The expertise for the phaser technology originates from Germany: the optical concept and product development from Berlin, and the laser diodes from Regensburg. The first projectors will be available at the end of the year.
(Jim Evans)
