Cree has announced the XLamp CMA family of chip-on-board (COB) LEDs that mark the company’s first foray into such LEDs manufactured on an aluminum substrate as opposed to a ceramic substrate. Cree is informally calling the new line a high-current family and positioning the portfolio to fit between the Standard Density and High Density ceramic-based LEDs announced previously.

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　　The type of substrate used in COB LEDs has not been a mainstream issue, although LED makers and some solid-state lighting (SSL) product developers have strong feelings on the topic. Indeed, some lighting manufacturers will only buy one or the other type of COBs, and most LED manufacturers have chosen one path or the other. Cree may be the only mainstream LED manufacturer with both types of COBs in its product line.

　　Ceramic substrates for COB LEDs generally deliver better thermal performance. The rear surface of a ceramic COB LED is perfectly flat and mates well with other materials and the devices don’t thermally expand. But ceramic-based COB LEDs are brittle. Generally, the devices must be mounted in a luminaire design using a mechanical holder of some sort.