Nichia STSE-CW5004A <Cat.No.050120> 7.CAUTIONS The LEDs are devices which are materialized by combining Blue LEDs and special phosphors. Consequently, the color of the LEDs is changed a little by an operating current. Care should be taken after due consideration when using LEDs. (1) Lead Forming · When forming leads, the leads should be bent at a point at least 3mm from the base of the epoxy bulb. Do not use the base of the leadframe as a fulcrum during lead forming. · Lead forming should be done before soldering. · Do not apply any bending stress to the base of the lead. The stress to the base may damage the LED’s characteristics or it may break the LEDs. · When mounting the LEDs onto a printed circuit board, the holes on the circuit board should be exactly aligned with the leads of the LEDs. If the LEDs are mounted with stress at the leads, it causes deterioration of the epoxy resin and this will degrade the LEDs. (2) Storage · The LEDs should be stored at 30°C or less and 70%RH or less after being shipped from Nichia and the storage life limits are 3 months. If the LEDs are stored for 3 months or more, they can be stored for a year in a sealed container with a nitrogen atmosphere and moisture absorbent material. · Nichia LED leadframes are comprised of a silver plated copper alloy. The silver surface may be affected by environments which contain corrosive gases and so on. Please avoid conditions which may cause the LED to corrode, tarnish or discolor. This corrosion or discoloration may cause difficulty during soldering operations. It is recommended that the LEDs be used as soon as possible. · Please avoid rapid transitions in ambient temperature, especially, in high humidity environments where condensation can occur. (3) Static Electricity · Static electricity or surge voltage damages the LEDs. It is recommended that a wrist band or an anti-electrostatic glove be used when handling the LEDs. · All devices, equipment and machinery must be properly grounded. It is recommended that measures be taken against surge voltage to the equipment that mounts the LEDs. · When inspecting the final products in which LEDs were assembled, it is recommended to check whether the assembled LEDs are damaged by static electricity or not. It is easy to find static-damaged LEDs by a light-on test or a VF test at a lower current (below 1mA is recommended). · Damaged LEDs will show some unusual characteristics such as the leak current remarkably increases, the forward voltage becomes lower, or the LEDs do not light at the low current. Criteria : (VF > 2.0V at IF=0.5mA) -4-