Pro9™ LEDs

Pro9 LEDs set the new standard for high fidelity (80, 90 & 95 CRI min) LEDs

Pro9™ technology uses Potassium Fluoride Silicon (KSF or PFS) phosphor to boost the efficiency of LED components, especially those delivering higher CRI. Cree LED’s Pro9 LEDs are covered under a technology license from Current Lighting Solutions, LLC.

Cree LED leads the industry in using this phosphor in high-power and high lumen density LEDs, such as COBs, and is the first supplier to successfully use this phosphor in ceramic high-power LEDs.

Pro9 LEDs improve the output, efficacy and size of LED luminaires in commercial applications requiring high quality light. Pro9 LEDs have the industry’s highest operating temperature rating of 105°C and share the same mechanical and electrical characteristics to upgrade to higher CRI with no change in performance and minimal redesign.

Pro9 LEDs: COBs

Cree LED has the industry’s broadest and most extensive portfolio of Chip-on-Board (COB) LED arrays to offer our customers the perfect solution of size, power, performance and value.

Pro9 LED technology is available on all of Cree LED’s current COB families:

• XLamp^® CHA LEDs: high-intensity metal COBs with small LES
• XLamp CMB LEDs: drop-in upgrades for Cree LED COB form factors (CXA, CXB, CMA) with the same LES & substrate sizes
• XLamp CMU LEDs: second generation high-efficacy metal COBs in industry-compatible sizes
• XLamp CMA LEDs: first generation metal COBs optimized for efficacy at high current
• XLamp CXB High Density LEDs: industry’s highest lumen density ceramic COBs
• XLamp CXB Standard Density LEDs: high-efficacy, high-reliability ceramic COBs

Pro9™ LEDs: COB Color Point Options

Pro9 COB LEDs are now offered in two color point options: Standard (on BBL) and Below BBL, available in 4000K to 2700K CCTs. These options help lighting manufacturers maintain optimal color appearance across varying LED operating conditions.

• Standard (on BBL): Provides a balanced white point at higher operating temperatures. At lower temperatures, the light may appear slightly green.
• Below BBL: Maintains a balanced white point at lower operating temperatures. At higher temperatures, the light may appear slightly pink.

The photos below demonstrate these color effects using the XLamp^® CMB1516 Pro9 White LED at 3000K, 90 CRI.

For additional details on color shift behavior, refer to our design guide: Understanding Color Shift Across Operating Conditions for Standard & Pro9™ COB LEDs

Pro9 LEDs: COB Reliability

The lighting industry recognizes that KSF phosphor enables significantly higher efficacy for warm white, high-CRI lighting applications. However, it’s also well-known that KSF phosphor can present technical challenges, particularly when it comes to maintaining long-term reliability under demanding operating conditions.

Not all KSF phosphor is created equal. Likewise, not all LED suppliers have the expertise to fully leverage its potential in LED lighting. Cree LED’s Pro9 products feature our second-generation KSF-based phosphor solution, specifically designed to deliver both high performance and exceptional long-term reliability.

In many cases, Pro9 versions of our LEDs match or exceed the long-term reliability of standard versions – even under challenging conditions. To validate this, Cree LED has completed 10,000 hours of LM-80 testing on Pro9 COBs. The results, compared against our Standard COBs, are presented in the graphs below.

Pro9™ LEDs: Reliability Under Extreme Conditions

Cree LED understands the three primary factors that accelerate KSF phosphor degradation: heat, high lumen density and moisture. That’s why, in addition to standard LM-80 testing, we perform rigorous WHTOL (Wet, High-Temperature Operating Life) testing on our Pro9 LEDs. This testing subjects the LEDs to all three of these stress factors simultaneously, making WHTOL the ultimate reliability challenge for any KSF-based LED.

When we compared our Pro9™ LEDs to competitive KSF-based LEDs under WHTOL conditions, the results were clear. Despite testing our products at higher power levels and greater lumen density – a more demanding scenario than our competitors – Pro9 LEDs consistently outperformed.

See the graphs below for detailed WHTOL testing results on ~15 mm LES KSF-based COB LEDs.

Pro9 LEDs: Mid-Power LEDs

J Series^® Pro9™ LEDs are optimized to deliver the best value with high efficacy, with up to 24% higher efficacy over standard version LEDs.

Pro9 LEDs: Ceramic High-Power LEDs

Cree LED is the first LED supplier to deliver the efficacy increase of KSF phosphor in high lumen density XLamp high power LEDs. XLamp Pro9 LEDs deliver up to 10% higher efficacy at 90 CRI than Standard versions.

Product Resources
XLamp^® White LEDs Feature Sheet
Understanding Color Shift Across Operating Conditions for Standard & Pro9™ COB LEDs Design Guide

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