Integrating sphere design for characterization of LED efficacy

Abstract

The integrating sphere (IS) is one of the most important device in characterization of illuminance of a light source, such as CFL, LED etc.To obtain their efficacy. IS is a hollowed sphere with its interior covered with a diffuse white reflective coating where its accuracy of the measurement is highly affected by reflectance of its interior coating. This paper report the preparation of inner surface coating of the IS with inner diameter of 25?cm attempt to create a durable and highly reflective interior coating by combining BaSO4 with a binding material (either Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) or white paint). The various inner surface coating mixture vary in weight % ratio of BaSO4:PEG or BaSO4:white paint were investigated. The results show that the inner surface coating mixture of BaSO4:PEG (99.8:0.2) has highest reflectance compared to others mixture. The IS with best mixture was calibrated with white LED and resulted an average sphere multiplier (M) was 8.7, and average reflectance (ρ) was 0.90. The result of the relative error of luminescence measurement using calibrated M and ρ is 6.7 %. It is concluded that the developed IS produced lower allowed error compared to the commercially available IS. However at lower wavelength shows lower intensity compare to the available datasheet of the LED under investigation.