NICHIA STS-DA1-3555F <Cat.No.180925>

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CAUTIONS

(1) Storage

Conditions

Temperature

Humidity

Time

Storage

Before Opening Aluminum Bag

≤30°C

≤90%RH

Within 1 Year from Delivery Date

After Opening Aluminum Bag

≤30°C

≤70%RH

≤168hours

Baking

65±5°C

-

≥24hours

● The storage/packaging requirements for this LED are comparable to JEDEC Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) 3 or equivalent.

Nichia used IPC/JEDEC STD-020 as a reference to rate the MSL of this LED.

● This LED uses a package that could absorb moisture; if the package absorbs moisture and is exposed to heat during soldering, it

may cause the moisture to vaporize and the package to expand and the resulting pressure may cause internal delamination. This

may cause the optical characteristics to degrade. To minimize moisture absorption in storage/transit, moisture-proof aluminum

bags are used for the LEDs with a silica gel packet to absorb any air moisture in the bag. The silica gel beads turn blue to red as

they absorb moisture.

● Once the moisture-proof aluminum bag is open, ensure that the LED is soldered to a PCB within the range of the conditions above.

To store any remaining unused LEDs, use a hermetically sealed container with silica gel desiccants. Nichia recommends placing

them back to the original moisture-proof bag and reseal it.

● If the “After Opening” storage time has been exceeded or any pink silica gel beads are found, ensure that the LED are baked before

use. Baking should only be done once.

● This LED has gold-plated electrodes. If the LEDs are exposed to a corrosive environment, it may cause the plated surface to

tarnish causing issues (i.e. solderability). Ensure that when storing LEDs, a hermetically sealed container is used. Nichia

recommends placing them back to the original moisture-proof bag and reseal it.

● To prevent substances/gases from affecting the plated surface, ensure that the parts/materials used with the LEDs in the same

assembly/system do not contain sulfur (e.g. gasket/seal, adhesive, etc.). If the plating is contaminated, it may cause issues (e.g.

electric connection failures). If a gasket/seal is used, silicone rubber gaskets/seals are recommended; ensure that this use of

silicone does not result in issues (e.g. electrical connection failures) caused by low molecular weight volatile siloxane.

● To avoid condensation, the LEDs must not be stored in areas where temperature and humidity fluctuate greatly.

● Do not store the LEDs in a dusty environment.

● Do not expose the LEDs to direct sunlight and/or an environment over a long period of time where the temperature is higher than

normal room temperature.

(2) Directions for Use

● The circuit must be designed to ensure that the Absolute Maximum Ratings are not exceeded for each LED. The LEDs should be

operated at a constant current per LED. In the case of operating at a constant voltage, Circuit B is recommended. If Circuit A is

used, it may cause the currents flowing through the LEDs to vary due to the variation in the forward voltage characteristics of the

LEDs on the circuit.

(A)

(B)

● This LED is designed to be operated at a forward current. Ensure that no voltage is applied to the LED in the forward/reverse

direction while the LED is off. If the LEDs are used in an environment where reverse voltages are applied to the LED continuously,

it may cause electrochemical migration to occur causing the LED to be damaged. When not in use for a long period of time, the

system’s power should be turned off to ensure that there are no issues/damage.

● To stabilize the LED characteristics while in use, Nichia recommends that the LEDs are operated at currents ≥ 10% of the sorting

current.

● Ensure that transient excessive voltages (e.g. lighting surge) are not applied to the LEDs.

● If the LEDs are used for outdoor applications, ensure that necessary measures are taken (e.g. protecting the LEDs from water/salt

damage and high humidity).