Patent Grant
10037947
The present invention generally relates to electronic devices, and more specifically to array-based electronic devices.
Discrete light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an attractive alternative to incandescent light bulbs in illumination devices due to their higher efficiency, smaller form factor, longer lifetime, and enhanced mechanical robustness. However, the high cost of LEDs and associated heat-sinking and thermal-management systems have limited the widespread utilization of LEDs, particularly in general lighting applications.
The high cost of LED-based lighting systems has several contributors. LEDs are typically encased in a package and multiple packaged LEDs are used in each lighting system to achieve the required light intensity. In order to reduce costs, LED manufacturers have developed high-power LEDs, which can emit relatively higher light intensities by operating at relatively higher currents. While reducing the package count, these LEDs require relatively higher-cost packages to accommodate the higher current levels and to manage the significantly higher heat levels that result. The higher heat loads and currents, in turn, require more expensive thermal-management and heat-sinking systems—for example, thermal slugs in the package, ceramic or metal submounts, large metal or ceramic heat sinks, metal core printed circuit boards and the like—which also add to the cost as well as to size of the system. Higher operating temperatures also lead to shorter lifetimes as well as reduced reliability. Finally, LED efficacy typically decreases with increasing drive current, so operation of LEDs at relatively higher currents results in a relative reduction in efficacy as compared with lower-current operation. In order to support high-current operation, the LED chip (inside the package) requires relatively larger contact areas. In addition, high-power LEDs often have a current-blocking layer under the contacts to prevent light emission in those areas. The larger contact areas and current-blocking layer diminish the light-emitting area of the chip, resulting in reduced efficiency, fewer chips per wafer and increased cost.
Contact size is further limited by the method used to connect the LED chip to the package, another substrate or other supporting components. Most commonly, LED chips are interconnected using wire bonding. The wire-bonding process requires a certain minimum contact area, independent of current level. As a result, even in low-current LEDs, the contact size cannot be reduced below the minimum required for wire bonding. Another common approach for connection of the LED chip to the package is to use agents such as solder or conductive adhesives to bond a LED to a package, submount or substrate. These agents may also be relatively expensive and require complicated processes to control their dispersion so as to prevent the contacts of the LED from shorting together and rendering the device inoperative; this is particularly so as device geometries (for example, spacing between contacts) and dimensions continue to shrink.
One recent advance facilitating the connectivity of LEDs to a variety of substrates is anisotropically conductive adhesive (ACA), which enables electrical interconnection in one direction (e.g., vertically between a device contact and a substrate contact), but prevents it in other directions (e.g., horizontally between contacts on a device or between contracts on a substrate). State-of-the-art ACAs are pressure-activated, and thus require provision of “stud bumps” or other metallic projections on the surface to which the LED is to be bonded or on the LED bond pads in order to create the anisotropic electrical conductivity and promote adhesion. While other, non-pressure-activated types of ACA exist (e.g., ZTACH available from SunRay Scientific of Mt. Laurel, N.J., for which a magnetic field rather than pressure is applied during curing in order to align magnetic and conductive “columns” in the desired conduction direction), such ACAs are less common and require additional, and potentially expensive, equipment (e.g., magnets).
As known in the art, a pressure-activated ACA typically comprises an adhesive base, e.g., an adhesive or epoxy material, containing “particles” (e.g., spheres) of a conductive material or of an insulating material coated with a conductive material (such as metal or a conductive material coated with an insulating material.
However, the use of stud bumps or equivalent conductive structures may be problematic and costly in many applications. Particularly as device and device-contact dimensions continue to decrease, stud bumps are frequently too large for connection to individual contacts. Formation of stud bumps also necessarily entails the formation of topography on the substrate, a complicated and expensive process, particularly when device contacts are non-coplanar (as stud bumps of a variety of heights are required). Furthermore, in applications utilizing unpackaged semiconductor die (e.g., bare-die LEDs), bonding of the device to stud bumps may result in deleterious localized stress (e.g., if the die bows between stud bumps due to the applied bonding pressure). Finally, use of stud bumps or similar structures may result in thermal-expansion mismatch (and concomitant stress) between the bumps and the substrate or bonded die.
However, without stud bumps or other projecting structures, bonding a semiconductor die to conventional substrates will not result in a reliable electrical connection therebetween, particularly if the contacts on the semiconductor die are non-coplanar.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for systems and procedures enabling the low cost reliable bonding of various semiconductor dies (e.g., LED dies and solar cell dies) directly to a substrate's electrical traces via pressure-activated adhesives without the use of stud bumps or similar structures and low cost, reliable LED-based lighting systems based on such systems and processes.
In accordance with certain embodiments, one or more semiconductor dies are attached to a flexible and/or deformable substrate with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (e.g., an ACA) without the use of intervening stud bumps or similar structures. The substrate is able to locally yield to compression force and form a mechanically strong and electrically conductive connection to the semiconductor-die contacts, notwithstanding any non-coplanarity of the contacts. In some embodiments, the substrate is “flexible” in the sense of being pliant in response to a force and resilient, i.e., tending to elastically resume an original configuration upon removal of the force. A substrate may be “deformable” in the sense of conformally yielding to a force, but the deformation may or may not be permanent; that is, the substrate may not be resilient. Flexible materials used herein may or may not be deformable (i.e., they may elastically respond by, for example, bending without undergoing structural distortion), and deformable substrates may or may not be flexible (i.e., they may undergo permanent structural distortion in response to a force). The term “yielding” is herein used to connote a material that is flexible or deformable or both.
The use of the yielding substrate simplifies the bonding and substrate-preparation procedures, and also facilitates deployment of the semiconductor dies in environments and/or applications unsuitable for rigid substrates. The substrate may even be substantially transparent, further broadening the scope of potential applications for which embodiments of the invention may be utilized. Since the yielding substrate enables the inexpensive and simple fabrication of assemblies featuring arrays of semiconductor dies, embodiments of the invention may even be advantageously utilized in applications where substrate rigidity may be preferred. For example, the flexible substrate(s) and semiconductor dies may be attached to and/or mounted within substantially rigid frames or other apparatus that provide structural support. In one such embodiment, one or more arrays of light-emitting semiconductor dies on one or more yielding substrates may be mounted within a rigid frame to form a lighting assembly for applications such as backlighting and general illumination.
An advantage of the present invention is the ability to replace today's fluorescent fixtures (e.g., standard linear fluorescent troffers), which can be inefficient due to optical losses, with designs that minimize optical loss. Moreover, fluorescent lamps contain mercury, which can be environmentally deleterious unless disposed of properly (and expensively). Embodiments of the present invention have luminous efficacies greater than those associated with conventional fluorescent fixtures. More generally, LED lighting has the potential to dramatically reduce energy consumption due to its much higher efficiency relative to incandescent, halogen and compact fluorescent lamps.
In an aspect, embodiments of the invention feature an electronic device comprising a semiconductor die having first and second distinct non-coplanar contacts on a first surface thereof, and a yielding substrate having first and second conductive traces on a first surface thereof. The first and second conductive traces are separated on the substrate by a gap therebetween. The first and second contacts are adhered to and in electrical contact with, respectively, the first and second conductive traces with a pressure-activated adhesive material notwithstanding the non-coplanarity of the first and second contacts, and without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts. In some embodiments, the substrate is flexible but not deformable; in other embodiments, the substrate is deformable but not flexible; while in still other embodiments, the substrate is both flexible and deformable.
The semiconductor die may comprise a LED die, e.g., an inorganic LED die. Alternatively, the semiconductor die may comprise a laser and may comprise a semiconductor material comprising or consisting essentially of at least one of GaN, AlN, InN, or an alloy or mixture thereof; or a semiconductor material comprising or consisting essentially of at least one of silicon, GaAs, InAs, AlAs, InP, GaP, AlP, InSb, GaSb, AlSb, ZnO, or an alloy or mixture thereof.
In various embodiments, the adhesive material comprises or consists essentially of an ACA electrically connecting the first contact only to the first trace and the second contact only to the second trace. A portion of the ACA may disposed in the gap to substantially isolate the first contact from the second contact. In some embodiments, the adhesive material comprises a substantially isotropic adhesive electrically connecting the first contact only to the first trace and the second contact only to the second trace, and the device further comprises a non-conductive adhesive material disposed in the gap. The first and second traces may have substantially uniform and substantially equal thicknesses.
In some embodiments, the device further comprises a reflective material over at least a portion of the first surface of the semiconductor die. An offset between the first and second contacts along a dimension substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the semiconductor die may be at least 0.25 μm. In various embodiments, the semiconductor die is unpackaged. The yielding substrate may comprise a localized deformation between the first and second traces, whereby the distance between the first contact and the substrate is substantially equal to the distance between the second contact and the substrate.
In general, the semiconductor die will extend across the gap between the first and second traces, and in some embodiments, a second semiconductor die, proximate the semiconductor die, also extends across the gap between the first and second traces. In some embodiments, the first and second conductive traces comprise a conductive ink; and the conductive ink may comprise, for example, silver, gold, aluminum, chromium, copper, and/or carbon. In various embodiments, the reflectivity of the substrate for a wavelength emitted by the semiconductor die is greater than 80%, whereas in other embodiments, a transmittance of the substrate for a wavelength emitted by the semiconductor die is greater than 80%. The substrate may comprise or consist essentially of polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, polyester, polyimide, polyethylene, and/or paper. The gap between the first and second traces may range between approximately 25 μm and approximately 1000 μm. An advantage of the invention is that there need be no heat sink in thermal communication with the semiconductor die.
In various embodiments, disposed over and at least partially surrounding the semiconductor die is a phosphor material for converting at least a portion of light emitted by the semiconductor die to light of a different wavelength. There may be a second substrate disposed over the yielding substrate and the first and second conductive traces, with the second substrate comprising an opening defined thereby; in such cases, the semiconductor die and the phosphor material may be disposed in the opening. Moreover, a transparent film may be disposed over the opening in the second substrate, which may be yielding.
In some embodiments, an optically transparent material is disposed between the semiconductor die and the phosphor material. A reflective surface for reflecting converted light toward the yielding substrate may be disposed over the phosphor material.
In another aspect, embodiments of the invention relate to an electronic device comprising a semiconductor die having first and second spaced-apart contacts on a first surface thereof, and a yielding substrate having first and second conductive traces on a first surface thereof in a bonding region; the first and second conductive traces defining a gap therebetween. Furthermore, the first and second contacts are adhered to and in electrical contact with, respectively, the first and second conductive traces with a pressure-activated adhesive material without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts; and at least in the bonding region, the height of the first and second traces above the first surface of the substrate does not exceed 10 μm (or, in some embodiments, does not exceed 5 μm, or in other embodiments, does not exceed 1 μm).
In still another aspect, the invention pertains to a method of forming an electronic device. In various embodiments, the method comprises providing a yielding substrate having first and second conductive traces on a first surface thereof in a bonding region, where the first and second conductive traces are separated on the substrate by a gap therebetween. With a pressure-activated adhesive material, the first and second contacts of a semiconductor die are adhered to the first and second traces, respectively, by applying pressure to at least one of the yielding substrate or the semiconductor die, thereby establishing electrical connection between (i) the first contact and the first trace and/or (ii) the second contact and the second trace, but without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts.
In some embodiments, the substrate is flexible but not deformable; in other embodiments, the substrate is deformable but not flexible; while in still other embodiments, the substrate is both flexible and deformable. Providing the substrate may, for example, comprise printing the first and second traces thereon. The adhesive may, in some embodiments, be cured. The first and second contacts may be co-planar or non-coplanar. Applying pressure to the yielding substrate and/or the semiconductor die may comprise compressing the substrate and the semiconductor die between a substantially rigid surface and a substantially compliant surface to adhere the first and second contacts to the first and second traces notwithstanding the non-coplanarity between the first and second contacts. Prior to adhering, the adhesive material may be provided on the first and second contact and/or the first and second traces. Providing the adhesive material may comprise dispensing the adhesive material in substantially liquid form. In various embodiments, the adhesive material comprises or consists essentially of an ACA. A non-conductive adhesive material may be formed over the yielding substrate within the gap.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises forming a phosphor material over at least a portion of the semiconductor die; the phosphor material converts at least a portion of light emitted by the semiconductor die to light of a different wavelength. A second substrate may, if desired, be disposed on the first surface of the yielding substrate; the second substrate defines an opening therethrough in which the semiconductor die is disposed. The opening may be at least partially filled with a phosphor material such that the phosphor material at least partially surrounds the semiconductor die.
A second substrate, comprising a depression in which the semiconductor die is disposed, may be formed on the first surface of the yielding substrate. A phosphor material may be disposed over a surface of the depression, and/or may be disposed between the semiconductor die and a reflective surface for reflecting the converted light toward the yielding substrate. The semiconductor die may be unpackaged, and may be, for example, a LED, e.g., an inorganic LED die. Alternatively, the semiconductor die may comprise or be a laser.
Providing the yielding substrate and adhering the contacts to the traces may be performed in a roll-to-roll process, for example. In various embodiments, using an adhesive material, the first and second contacts of a second semiconductor die are adhered to third and fourth conductive traces disposed on a second surface of the yielding substrate opposing the first surface. In some embodiments, the first and second contacts are substantially coplanar and, at least in the bonding region, the height of the first and second traces above the first surface of the substrate does not exceed 10 μm.
In yet another aspect, the invention pertains to an electronic device comprising, in various embodiments, a semiconductor die comprising a plurality of active semiconductor layers and a plurality of contacts. A first and a second of the active semiconductor layers collectively define a non-planar first surface to which a first and a second of the contacts are joined. The device further comprises a yielding substrate having first and second conductive traces on a first surface thereof, the first and second conductive traces being separated on the substrate by a gap therebetween. The first and second contacts are adhered to and in electrical contact with, respectively, the first and second conductive traces with a pressure-activated adhesive material notwithstanding the non-planarity of the first surface of the semiconductor die, and without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts. The semiconductor die may comprise or consist of a semiconductor substrate on which the plurality of active semiconductor layers is disposed. The plurality of active semiconductor layers may comprise or consist of a light-emitting quantum well disposed between the first and second active semiconductor layers.
In another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature an electronic device that includes, consists essentially of, or consists of a light-emitting element (LEE) having at least three spaced-apart contacts and a yielding substrate having at least three conductive traces on a first surface thereof, the at least three conductive traces being separated on the substrate by gaps therebetween. Each of the at least three contacts is adhered to and in electrical contact with a different one of the at least three conductive traces with an adhesive material without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following in any of a variety of combinations. The substrate may include a local flexing or a local deformation for maintaining electrical contact between the contacts and the traces during operation of the LEE. The at least three spaced-apart contacts may be substantially coplanar. At least two of the contacts may be non-coplanar and adhered to and in electrical contact with traces notwithstanding the non-coplanarity. The adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a heat- and pressure-activated adhesive material. The adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of an anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) electrically connecting each contact only to its respective trace. A portion of the ACA may be disposed in at least one of the gaps and may substantially electrically isolate the at least three contacts from each other. The adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a substantially isotropic conductive adhesive electrically connecting each contact only to its respective trace. The at least three conductive traces may include a first trace and a second trace. The at least three contacts may include a first contact and a second contact. The substrate may include a localized deformation between the first and second traces, whereby a distance between the first contact and the substrate is substantially equal to a distance between the second contact and the substrate.
The reflectivity of the substrate for a wavelength of light emitted by the LEE may be greater than 80%. The transmittance of the substrate for a wavelength of light emitted by the LEE may be greater than 80%. At least one (or even all) of the gaps between two of the traces may range between approximately 25 μm and approximately 1000 μm. One or more (or even all) of the at least three conductive traces may include, consist essentially of, or consist of silver, gold, aluminum, chromium, copper, and/or carbon. The substrate may include, consist essentially of, or consist of polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, polyester, polyimide, polyethylene, and/or paper. The LEE may emit white light having a color temperature in the range of 2000K to 7000K. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a packaged light-emitting diode (LED), e.g., a packaged inorganic LED. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a bare light-emitting diode die. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a bare inorganic light-emitting diode die. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a laser. A power supply may be electrically connected to the LEE. An optical element may be arranged to transmit light emitted by the LEE. The optical element may be disposed above and optically coupled to the LEE. The LEE may be disposed between the optical element and the substrate. The optical element may be disposed in contact with the substrate and/or the traces so as to enclose the LEE between the substrate and the optical element. The optical element may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a diffusive optical element. The optical element may include, consist essentially of, or consist of an optically transparent plate or an optically transparent film. The optical element may be flexible. The electronic device may include a plurality of additional LEEs each having at least three spaced-apart contacts, and a plurality of additional optical elements each disposed over and optically coupled to one of the additional LEEs. The LEE and the additional LEEs may be arranged in a two-dimensional array on the substrate.
A second set of at least three conductive traces may be disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface. The second set of at least three conductive traces may be separated on the substrate by gaps therebetween. The electronic device may include a second LEE having a second set of at least three spaced-apart contacts. The second set of contacts may be adhered to and in electrical contact with the second set of conductive traces with an adhesive material without electrically bridging the second set of conductive traces or the second set of contacts. A plurality of additional LEEs may be disposed on the substrate. The electronic device may include a housing (i) in which the substrate is at least partially disposed and (ii) configured to transmit light emitted from the LEE. The housing may be configured to transmit light emitted by a plurality of additional LEEs. The electronic device may include a control circuit electrically connected to the LEE. The control circuit may be disposed on the substrate. The control circuit may be configured to control dimming of the LEE and/or a portion thereof. The control circuitry may be disposed within a housing in which the substrate is at least partially disposed. The housing may be configured to transmit light emitted from the LEE and/or a plurality of additional LEEs. A phosphor material for converting at least a portion of light emitted by the LEE to light of a different wavelength may be disposed over at least a portion of the LEE. The adhesive material may be activatable via application of pressure, heat, and/or a magnetic field.
A transparent film may be disposed over the LEE and at least a portion of the substrate. The transparent film may be flexible. A non-conductive adhesive material may be disposed in at least one (or even all) of the gaps. The substrate may be flexible but not deformable. The substrate may be deformable but not flexible. The substrate may be flexible and deformable. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of at least two discrete light-emitting diode (LED) units. The LED units may be configured for independent light emission. Each LED unit may have at least one different electrical or optical characteristic. The at least one electrical or optical characteristic may include, consist essentially of, or consist of color point, CCT, CRI, R9, spectral power distribution, and/or spatial light intensity. The LEE may include a control circuit electrically connected to at least one LED unit. The control circuit may be configured to control the current to the at least one LED unit. The control circuit may be configured to control dimming of the at least one LED unit. The LEE may include a control circuit electrically connected to the at least two LED units. The control circuit may be configured to independently control dimming of each of the at least two LED units. The control circuit may be configured to independently control the current to the at least two LED units. The control circuit may be configured to control color temperature of light emitted by the electronic device. The system may include a master controller configured to provide information (for example, to the control circuit) representative of a level of current for each of the at least two LED units.
In yet another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method of forming an electronic device. A yielding substrate is provided. The yielding substrate has at least three conductive traces on a first surface thereof in a bonding region. The at least three conductive traces are separated on the substrate by gaps therebetween. With a pressure-activated adhesive material, each of at least three contacts of a light-emitting element (LEE) is adhered to a different one of the at least three traces by applying pressure to at least one of the yielding substrate or the LEE, thereby establishing electrical connection between the contacts and the traces but without electrically bridging the traces or the contacts.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following in any of a variety of combinations. The substrate may be flexible but not deformable. The substrate may be deformable but not flexible. The substrate may be flexible and deformable. The adhesive material may be at least partially cured. The adhesive material may be at least partially cured by the application of heat, light, and/or a magnetic field. At least two of the contacts may be non-coplanar. Applying pressure to the yielding substrate and/or the LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of compressing the substrate and the LEE between a substantially rigid surface and a substantially compliant surface to adhere the contacts to the traces notwithstanding any non-coplanarity between at least two of the contacts. Prior to the adhering step, the adhesive material may be provided on one or more of the contacts and/or one or more of the conductive traces. Providing the adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of dispensing the adhesive material in substantially liquid form. Providing the adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of applying at least a portion of the adhesive material in substantially solid tape or film form. The adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of an anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA). A non-conductive adhesive material may be disposed over the substrate within at least one of the gaps.
A phosphor material for converting at least a portion of light emitted by the LEE to light of a different wavelength may be disposed over at least a portion of the LEE. A second substrate (which may or may not be flexible and/or deformable) may be disposed on or over the first surface of the yielding substrate. The second substrate may define an opening therethrough in which the LEE is disposed. The second substrate may define a recessed depression in which the LEE is disposed. The second substrate may be substantially transparent or substantially opaque to a wavelength of light emitted by the LEE. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a packaged light-emitting diode (LED), e.g., a packaged inorganic LED. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a bare light-emitting diode die. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a bare inorganic light-emitting diode die. The LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a laser. A power supply may be electrically connected to the LEE. An optical element may be arranged to transmit light emitted by the LEE. The optical element may be disposed above and optically coupled to the LEE. The LEE may be disposed between the optical element and the substrate. The optical element may be disposed in contact with the substrate and/or the traces so as to enclose the LEE between the substrate and the optical element. The optical element may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a diffusive optical element. The optical element may include, consist essentially of, or consist of an optically transparent plate or an optically transparent film. The optical element may be flexible. Providing the yielding substrate and adhering the contacts to the traces may be performed in a roll-to-roll process. For example, the substrate may be supplied from one roll, have the contacts adhered to the traces at an adhesion station, and be taken up on a second roll downstream of the adhesion station. Each of at least three contacts of a second LEE may be adhered, with a second adhesive material, to a second set of at least three traces disposed on a second surface of the yielding substrate opposing the first surface. The second adhesive material may be the same as or different from the adhesive material. The second adhesive material may include, consist essentially of, or consist of an ACA.
These and other objects, along with advantages and features of the invention, will become more apparent through reference to the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations. As used herein, the terms “about,”, “approximately,” and “substantially” mean±10%, and in some embodiments, ±5%.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Refer first to
Substrate 310 may include or consist essentially of one or more semiconductor materials, e.g., silicon, GaAs, InP, GaN, and may be doped or substantially undoped (e.g., not intentionally doped). In some embodiments substrate 310 includes or consists essentially of sapphire or silicon carbide. Substrate 310 may be substantially transparent to a wavelength of light emitted by the semiconductor die 300. As shown for a light-emitting device, semiconductor layers 320 may include first and second doped layers 330, 340, which preferably are doped with opposite polarities (i.e., one n-type doped and the other p-type doped). One or more light-emitting layers 350, e.g., one or more quantum wells, may be disposed between layers 330, 340. Each of layers 330, 340, 350 may include or consist essentially of one or more semiconductor materials, e.g., silicon, InAs, AlAs, GaAs, InP, AlP, GaP, InSb, GaSb, AlSb, GaN, AlN, InN, and/or mixtures and alloys (e.g., ternary or quaternary, etc. alloys) thereof. In preferred embodiments, semiconductor die 300 is an inorganic, rather than a polymeric or organic, device. As referred to herein, semiconductor dies may be packaged or unpackaged unless specifically indicated (e.g., a bare-die LED is an unpackaged semiconductor die). In some embodiments, substantially all or a portion of substrate 310 is removed prior to or after the bonding of semiconductor die 300 described below. Such removal may be performed by, e.g., chemical etching, laser lift-off, mechanical grinding and/or chemical-mechanical polishing or the like. In some embodiments all or a portion of substrate 310 may be removed and a second substrate—e.g., one that is transparent to or reflective of a wavelength of light emitted by semiconductor die 300—is attached to substrate 310 or semiconductor layers 320 prior to or after the bonding of semiconductor die 300 as described below. In some embodiments substrate 310 comprises silicon and all or a portion of silicon substrate 310 may be removed prior to or after the bonding of semiconductor die 300 described below. Such removal may be performed by, e.g., chemical etching, laser lift off, mechanical grinding and/or chemical-mechanical polishing or the like.
As shown in
In some embodiments, semiconductor die 300 has a square shape, while in other embodiments semiconductor die 300 has a rectangular shape. In some preferred embodiments, to facilitate bonding (as described below) semiconductor die 300 may have a shape with a dimension in one direction that exceeds a dimension in an orthogonal direction (e.g., a rectangular shape), and have an aspect ratio of the orthogonal directions (length to width, in the case of a rectangular shape) of semiconductor die 300 greater than about 1.2:1. In some embodiments, semiconductor die 300 has an aspect ratio greater than about 2:1 or greater than 3:1. The shape and aspect ratio are not critical to the present invention, however, and semiconductor die 300 may have any desired shape.
In some embodiments, semiconductor die 300 has one lateral dimension less than 500 μm. Exemplary sizes of semiconductor die 300 may include ˜250 μmט600 μm, ˜250 μmט400 μm, ˜250 μmט300 μm, or ˜225 μmט175 μm. In some embodiments, semiconductor die 300 comprises a small LED die, also referred to as a “MicroLED.” A MicroLED generally has one lateral dimension less than about 300 μm. In some embodiments semiconductor die 300 has one lateral dimension less than about 200 μm or even less than about 100 μm. For example, a MicroLED may have a size of ˜225 μmט175 μm or ˜150 μmט100 μm or ˜150 μmט50 μm. In some embodiments, the surface area of the top surface of a MicroLED is less than 50,000 μm2 or less than 10,000 μm2.
Because preferred embodiments facilitate electrical contact to contacts 370, 380 via use of a conductive adhesive rather than, e.g., wire bonds, contacts 370, 380 may have a relatively small geometric extent since adhesives may be utilized to contact even very small areas impossible to connect with wires or ball bonds (which typically require bond areas of at least 80 μm on a side). In various embodiments, the extent of one or both of contacts 370, 380 in one dimension (e.g., a diameter or side length) is less than approximately 100 μm, less than approximately 70 μm, less than approximately 35 μm, or even less than approximately 20 μm.
Particularly if semiconductor die 300 includes or consists essentially of a light-emitting device such as a LED or laser, contacts 370, 380 may be reflective (at least to some or all of the wavelengths emitted by semiconductor die 300) and hence reflect emitted light back toward substrate 310. In some embodiments, a reflective contact 380 covers a portion or substantially all of layer 340, while a reflective contact 370 covers a portion or substantially all of layer 330. In addition to reflective contacts, a reflector 390 (not shown in subsequent figures for clarity) may be disposed between or above portions of contacts 370, 380 and over portions or substantially all of layer 340 and 330. Reflector 390 is reflective to at least some or all wavelengths of light emitted by semiconductor die 300 and may comprise various materials. In one embodiment reflector 390 is non-conductive so as not to electrically connect contacts 370, 380. Reflector 390 may be a Bragg reflector. Reflector 390 may comprise one or more conductive materials, e.g., metals such as silver, gold, platinum, etc. Instead of or in addition to reflector 390, exposed surfaces of semiconductor die except for contacts 370, 380 may be coated with one or more layers of an insulating material, e.g., a nitride such as silicon nitride or an oxide such as silicon dioxide. In some embodiments contacts 370, 380 comprise a bond portion for connection to traces 410 and a current-spreading portion for providing more uniform current through semiconductor die 300, and in some embodiments, one or more layers of an insulating material are formed over all or portions of semiconductor die 300 except for the bond portions of contacts 370, 380.
With reference to
In preferred embodiments, the small size of semiconductor die 300, particularly of an unpackaged semiconductor die 300, and its abovementioned relatively low operating current and temperature, obviate the need for a relatively high thermal conductivity substrate as is conventionally used, for example a ceramic substrate (such as Al2O3, AlN or the like) or metal-core printed circuit board (MCPCB) or a discrete or integrated heat sink (i.e., a highly thermally conductive fixture (comprising, for example, metal or ceramic materials) such as a plate or block, which may have projections such as fins to conduct heat away and into the surrounding ambient) to be in thermal communication with semiconductor die 300. Rather, substrate 400 itself (as well as, e.g., the adhesive, the traces, and even the surrounding ambient itself) provides adequate conduction of heat away from semiconductor die 300 during operation.
In various preferred embodiments, one or more of the semiconductor dies 300 on the substrate 400 are light-emitting devices such as LEDs and/or lasers. Conventional light-emitting assemblies are designed to maximize the amount of light emitted per area. Such designs, which involve increasing the amount of light emitted by each individual device, necessarily result in an increase in the amount of heat generated by each device and thus typically require a low-thermal-resistance pathway from the device (e.g., the LED junction) to ambient. These light-emitting assemblies may minimize the thermal resistance along the thermal pathway between the semiconductor die (e.g., a LED and the junction of the LED) and the surrounding ambient via the use of expensive materials and/or complicated thermal-management schemes, e.g., high-thermal-conductivity ceramics, thermal contact pads, metal-core circuit boards, large heat sinks, and even active cooling devices such as fans. Such devices frequently have thermal resistances of less than 2.5° C./Watt (° C./W), or even less than 1° C./W.
For example the Cree XM-L packaged LED, which is representative of high-brightness packaged LEDs, has a thermal resistance from the junction to the solder point of 2.5° C./W. The Cree thermal management guide CLD-AP05 REV 2 states that with good design, the thermal resistance from the solder point to the heat sink can be minimized to less than 1° C./W. The thermal resistance from the heat sink to ambient for a given allowed junction temperature can then be calculated as follows:
Rth.hs-a=(Tjmax−Ta−Rth.j-s×I×V−Rth.s-hs×I×V)/(I×V)
where Rth.hs-a is the thermal resistance from heat sink to ambient, Tjmax is the maximum junction temperature, Ta is the ambient temperature, Rth.j-s is the thermal resistance from the junction to the solder point, I is the LED current, V is the LED voltage and Rth.s-hs is the thermal resistance from the solder point to the heat sink. If we allow Ta to be 55° C., and state that Tjmax=150° C. (from the Xm-L spec sheet), and we operate the LED at 1 A and 6 V, the LED power is 6 watts. The required heat sink must then have a Rth.hs-a of 12° C./W. Thus the total thermal resistance from junction to ambient is 2.5+1+12=15.5° C./W. LEDs that emit relatively smaller amounts of light use packages with relatively higher thermal resistance. For example, parts designed to operate at about 20 mA typically have a thermal resistance in the range of about 300° C./W.
In contrast, embodiments of the invention feature a high thermal resistance along the pathway from the semiconductor die 300 to the surrounding ambient. This high thermal resistance may apply to each individual component along the pathway, e.g., the substrate 400, the adhesive 510, the traces 410, etc., and/or may apply collectively to the entire pathway. Specifically, the thermal resistance along the pathway and/or of one or more of the components along the pathway may be greater than approximately greater than approximately 500° C./W, greater than approximately 1000° C./W, or even greater than approximately 2000° C./W.
For example, in one embodiment the thermal resistance from the p-n junction of the LED 300 to the adjacent trace 400 (in this example, silver) over substrate 400 (in this example, 5 mil thick PET) was measured to be approximately 1800-2000° C./W. Part of the heat is dissipated by trace 400 and part of it flows through and is radiated out the back of the substrate 400. PET film has a thermal resistance in the range of 8-18° C.-cm2/W. The die size used in this example was is 250 um×600 um. If we assume that the area through which the heat flows is 1 mm on a side, the area is 1 mm2 and thus the thermal resistance of the PET is 13° C.-cm2/W (average thermal resistance) divided by the area (0.01 cm2) or 1300° C./W. Using an area of 1 mm2 is overly conservative given the small size of the die and the fact that the PET sheet is only 5 mil thick. Using a trapezoidal approximation, with the heat radiating at a 50° angle, and taking the area as the average of the die size and the projection on the back surface of the PET gives an area of 0.005 cm2. Using this area gives a thermal resistance of about 2600° C./W. Thus, in this example, the thermal resistance is at least 2000° C./W, and for the portion of the heat removed through the PET, at least 4500° C./W.
Based on these calculations, embodiments of the present invention have a thermal resistance to ambient that is at least 100 times larger than that of conventional high-brightness LEDs. Furthermore, this can be achieved in certain embodiments with relatively low junction temperatures, e.g., below 100° C. In some embodiments, when semiconductor die 300 comprises a p-n junction, the distance between the p-n junction and the surface of substrate 400 over which trace 410 is formed may be less than 100 μm, or less than 50 μm or less than 30 μm. In some embodiments, when semiconductor die 300 comprises a LED, the distance between layer 350 (see
Embodiments of the present invention involve lighting assemblies comprising light-emitting semiconductor die attached to yielding substrates using adhesives. Such assemblies comprise an array of light-emitting elements disposed over substrate 400. In some embodiments, the light-emitting elements are disposed over substrate 400 in a two-dimensional array with a pitch in the range of about 3 mm to about 30 mm. For embodiments employing light-emitting semiconductor die 300, the overall lighting assembly or module may produce at least 100 lumens, at least 1000 lumens, or even at least 3000 lumens, and/or may have a density of semiconductor die 300 greater than approximately 0.25 die/cm2 of area over which the semiconductor die 300 are disposed. Such light-emitting systems may feature semiconductor die 300 having junction temperatures less than 100° C., or even less than 80° C. And, the heat density of such systems may be less than 0.01 W/cm2 of area over which the semiconductor die 300 are disposed. Furthermore, the heat density generated by systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be less than approximately 0.01 W/cm2, or even less than approximately 0.005 W/cm2, whereas conventional light-emitting devices typically have heat densities greater than approximately 0.3 W/cm2, or even greater than approximately 0.5 W/cm2.
In one conventional approach, for example, a lighting assembly has one LED and the area is the area of the printed circuit board (PCB) for that LED. A similar definition may be used for lighting assemblies with multiple LEDs, that is, the area is the PCB area over which the LEDs are disposed. Based on this, a comparison between the present invention and the prior art can be made using a 2′×2′ troffer which is conventionally illuminated with fluorescent lamps. The prior-art approach to replacing the fluorescent lamps with LEDs is to use a PCB that is significantly smaller than the entire light-emitting area in combination with optical components to spread out the light. This may be accomplished by edge lighting an optical element, in which case the PCB for the LEDs may have dimensions on the order of 0.25″ by 24″ long, for an area of 6 in2, or 38.7 cm2. In the case of LED-based fluorescent replacement lamps (a lighting structure with a similar form factor to a fluorescent lamp, but that produces light using LEDs), the PCB may be on the order of 24″ by 1″, for an area of 24 in2, or about 155 cm2. These dimensions are assumed for what would be required for a 2′×2′ troffer. Assuming two boards, the board area is no more than about 500 cm2. This value is on the high side for tube replacements and much larger than for the edge lighting approach. For embodiments of the present invention the area is that of the entire 2′×2′ troffer, which is 576 in2, or 3716 cm2, larger by a factor of at least 7. Assuming that the LEDs in these luminaires have an efficiency of 100 lm/W, before taking into account the power supply efficiency, generation of 3500 lumens, which is a standard luminous flux for a 2′×2′ troffer, will require 35 watts. If the LEDs are 50% efficient, then about 17 watts of heat is generated. In the conventional case, the heat density is greater than 0.034 W/cm2 for the tube replacement and about five times larger for the edge lighting approach, while embodiments of the present invention may achieve a heat density on the order of 0.0045 W/cm2—almost a factor of 10 less than that for the conventional approach. The much smaller heat density achievable using the present invention, relative to the heat density of the prior art, permits operation of lighting assemblies or modules without additional heat sinking.
Substrate 400 may include or consist essentially of a semicrystalline or amorphous material, e.g., polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, polyester, polyimide, polyethylene, and/or paper. Substrate 400 may comprise multiple layers, e.g., a deformable layer over a rigid layer, for example, a semicrystalline or amorphous material, e.g., PEN, PET, polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, polyester, polyimide, polyethylene, and/or paper formed over a rigid substrate for example comprising, acrylic, aluminum, steel and the like. Depending upon the desired application for which embodiments of the invention are utilized, substrate 400 may be substantially optically transparent, translucent, or opaque. For example, substrate 400 may exhibit a transmittance or a reflectivity greater than 80% for optical wavelengths ranging between approximately 400 nm and approximately 600 nm. In some embodiments substrate 400 may exhibit a transmittance or a reflectivity of greater than 80% for one or more wavelengths emitted by semiconductor die 300. Substrate 400 may also be substantially insulating, and may have an electrical resistivity greater than approximately 100 ohm-cm, greater than approximately 1×106 ohm-cm, or even greater than approximately 1×1010 ohm-cm.
As shown in
Referring to
In another embodiment, shown in
If substrate 400 is too soft, pressure applied across semiconductor die 300 and substrate 400 may result in deformation of substrate 400 without sufficient force being applied to the ACA to establish electrical connection between traces 410 and contacts 370, 380. If substrate 400 is too hard, on the other hand, pressure applied across semiconductor die 300 and substrate 400 may result in fracture or breaking of semiconductor die 300 before the ACA is able establish electrical connection between traces 410 and contacts 370, 380. Thus the required level of deformability for substrate 400 may also depend on the mechanical properties of semiconductor die 300; tougher semiconductor die 300 may permit use of relatively less deformable substrate 400. Conversely, more fragile semiconductor die 300 may require use of a relatively more deformable substrate 400. Those of skill in the art may straightforwardly determine, without undue experimentation, the appropriate degree of substrate hardness for a particular semiconductor die. In some applications, the toughness of semiconductor die may be varied by changing its thickness or the materials from which it is fabricated.
During the bonding of semiconductor die 300 to substrate 400, adhesive 510 may be dispensed in substantially liquid form, i.e., as a paste or a gel, as opposed to a solid such as a tape. The adhesive 510 may be dispensed over portions of semiconductor die 300 (e.g., at least portions of contacts 370, 380) or substrate 400 (e.g., at least portions of traces 410) or both. Contacts 370, 380 are then brought into physical proximity (or contact) with and adhered to traces 410 via application of pressure to semiconductor die 300, substrate 400, or both. Because adhesive 510 in some embodiments is an ACA, perfect alignment between contacts 370,380 and traces 410 is not necessary, thus simplifying the process. When using an ACA, perfect alignment is not required because conduction occurs only in the vertical direction between contacts 370, 380 and traces 410, and not laterally between contacts 370, 380 or between traces 410. In one embodiment, semiconductor die 300 and substrate 400 are compressed between a substantially rigid surface and a substantially compliant surface, thereby enabling the flexure or deformation or both of substrate 400 depicted in
After or during the compression of semiconductor die 300 and substrate 400 (and, in preferred embodiments, pressure-induced activation of adhesive 510), adhesive 510 is cured by, e.g., application energy, for example heat and/or ultraviolet light. For example, adhesive 510 may be cured by heating to a temperature ranging from approximately 80° C. to approximately 150° C., e.g., approximately 125° C., for a period of time ranging from approximately several seconds to 1 minute to approximately 30 minutes, e.g., approximately 10 minutes, depending on the properties of the adhesive.
In another embodiment, the adhesive 510 comprises an isotropically conductive adhesive in regions 520 between contacts 370, 380 and their respective traces 410. In such embodiments, in a region 530 between the traces 410 and between contacts 370, 380, insulation may be maintained via absence of adhesive 510 or via the presence of a second, non-conductive adhesive. Adhesive 510 preferably features a polymeric matrix, rather than a fully metallic one that might result in undesirable electrical shorting between contacts 370, 380 and/or between traces 410. In some embodiments adhesive 510 may be reflective to at least some or all wavelengths of light emitted by semiconductor die 300.
Furthermore, one or more semiconductor die 300 may be bonded to traces 410 on the back side of substrate 100 in a similar or different fashion to that depicted in
Since electronic device 600 may be based on a yielding substrate 400, it may be formed in a roll-to-roll process, in which a sheet of the yielding substrate material travels through different processing stations. Such roll-to-roll processing may, for example, include the formation of traces 410, dispensing of the adhesive 510, and the placement of semiconductor dies 300, as well as for the bonding of any additional substrates and/or formation of one or more phosphor materials (as detailed below). In addition, electronic device 600 may also include other passive and/or active electronic devices attached to substrate 400, including, e.g., sensors, antennas, resistors, inductors, capacitors, thin-film batteries, transistors and/or integrated circuits. Such other passive and/or active electronic devices may be electrically coupled to traces or semiconductor dies 300 with adhesive 510 or by other means.
Furthermore, as shown in
In embodiments in which one or more of the semiconductor dies 300 is a light-emitting device such as a LED or a laser, a phosphor material may be incorporated to shift the wavelength of at least a portion of the light emitted by the die to another desired wavelength (which is then emitted from the larger device alone or color-mixed with another portion of the original light emitted by the die). As used herein, “phosphor” refers to any material that shifts the wavelength of light irradiating it and/or that is luminescent, fluorescent, and/or phosphorescent. Phosphors comprise powders or particles and in such case may be mixed in binders, e.g., silicone. As used herein, phosphor may comprise the powder or particles or to the powder or particles plus binder.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the sidewalls of the openings 810 are not substantially perpendicular to the surface of substrate 400 (as shown in
The phosphor 820 may include or consist essentially of, e.g., one or more silicates, nitrides, quantum dots, or other light-conversion materials, and may be suspended in an optically transparent binder (e.g., silicone or epoxy). Semiconductor dies 300 for use with one or more phosphors 820 may emit substantially blue or ultraviolet light, and the use of the phosphor(s) 820 may result in aggregate light that is substantially white, and which may have a correlated color temperature (CCT) ranging from approximately 2000 K to approximately 7000 K. Examples of such die include those comprising GaN, InN, AlN and various alloys of these binary compounds.
A phosphor 920 (or multiple layers of different phosphors) is formed over the material 910, as shown in
In one embodiment, die 300 emits blue light 940 (
As shown in
Embodiments of the present invention offer numerous advantages, including, without limitation, the following. First, the transparent material 910, e.g., air, epoxy or silicone, thermally insulates the phosphor layers 370 and 380 from the LED die, alleviating the risk of thermal quenching. Second, dichroic mirrors are not required, greatly improving manufacturability and reducing cost. Instead, the mirrored surface 360 reflects any light emitted by the phosphor particles incident on it back through phosphor layer 920 to transparent substrate 400. Third, the hemispherical shape of the remote phosphor shell doubles the surface area of the phosphor layer 920 exposed to the blue light emitted by the LED die 300. This effectively doubles the luminous exitance of the circular opening in substrate 400 defined by transparent material 910. (In other words, it effectively doubles the photometric brightness of the opening as viewed from all angles through transparent substrate 400, due to the increased phosphor layer surface area.)
Fourth, it has been shown (see, e.g., Yamada, K., Y. Imai, and K. Ishi, “Optical Simulation of Light Source Devices Composed of Blue LEDs and YAG Phosphor,” Journal of Light & Visual Environment 27(2):70-74 (2003) (hereafter “Yamada et al.”)) that YAG:Ce phosphor saturates at a concentration of approximately 20% by weight in transmission mode, but saturates at a concentration of 50% to 60% by weight in reflection mode. The phosphor layer 920 may therefore have a higher concentration and so provide increased conversion efficiency. As demonstrated by Yamada et al., increased conversion efficiencies of 50% are possible with YAG:Ce phosphor materials. Fifth, it has also been shown (see, e.g., Yamada et al.) that the chromaticity of light generated by blue InGaN LEDs and YAG:Ce phosphor exhibits considerably less variation with phosphor concentration in reflection mode versus transmission mode. Hence, the present invention may provide relaxed manufacturing tolerances for the thickness and uniformity of the phosphor layer 920.
Sixth, the mirrored surface 930 reflects incident light regardless of its angle of incidence and regardless of whether it is scattered blue light from the LED die 300 or emitted light from the phosphor layer 920. Seventh, the radiation emitted from the phosphor layer surface has a Lambertian distribution. This includes both the reflected blue light and the phosphor-emitted light. In accordance with radiative flux transfer theory and view factor geometry, exactly one half of this light will be incident upon substrate 400, while the other half will be incident on the phosphor layer. Depending on its wavelength, this light may further excite the phosphor particles, thereby providing a form of positive optical feedback that further improves the down-conversion efficiency of the phosphors. (For example, the excitation and emission spectra of YAG:Ce overlap in the region of approximately 475 nm to 525 nm, so that emitted light within this region self-excites the phosphor rather than being absorbed.)
The shape of the transparent material 910 is nominally a hemisphere. If it is shallower, the surface area of the phosphor layer is reduced, which tends to reduce the luminous exitance of the circular opening in substrate 400 defined by the transparent material 910. However, the light from the LED die 300 will not be at normal incidence to the phosphor surface at the periphery of the cavity. This will tend to increase specular reflections from the phosphor layer in accordance with the Fresnel equations, which may enhance the luminous exitance of the circular opening. If transparent material 910 is deeper, more than one half of the light will undergo multiple reflections within the cavity, which will tend to reduce the luminous exitance. However, this may be offset by self-excitation of the phosphor layers. In practice, then, a deeper or shallower shape than a hemispherical shape for transparent material 910 may be optimal, depending on the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the exposed phosphor layer surface and the optical gain provided by self-excitation of the phosphor from its own emission. The optimal cavity shape may therefore be ellipsoidal, paraboloidal, or hyperboloidal. It may also be pyramidal, with three or more planar sides.
The reflection (on average) of one-half of the light emitted by the phosphor particles by the mirrored surface 930 and scattered by phosphor layer 920 will tend to homogenize the light emitted from the circular opening in substrate 400 defined by the transparent material 910. This will, as a consequence, improve both intensity and color uniformity, further relaxing the manufacturing tolerances for the phosphor layer thickness and phosphor particle density.
One or more circuit boards may be coupled to the substrate 400. As shown, three circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 are attached to substrate 400. The circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 may have a long, thin rectangular shape in order to be positioned at the edges of the substrate 400. Portions or all of the drive circuitry, for example current-source components, may be disposed on one or more of the circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230, which may be yielding or substantially rigid. In an embodiment, one or more of the circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 includes or consists essentially of a printed circuit board (PCB) attached to the substrate 400 with, for example, a connector, conductive adhesive, anisotropic conductive adhesive or film or conductive epoxy or flexible connector to connect various components to individual semiconductor dies 300. In one embodiment, circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 are electrically coupled to substrate 400 with flexible connectors, permitting flexibility in the positioning of circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 relative to substrate 400.
Optionally, a transparent plate 1240 may be located on top of the substrate 400. In an embodiment, the plate 1240 is patterned with localized deposits of phosphor 920, as shown in
Various embodiments of the invention feature different physical configurations. For example, the module 1200 may have one, two, four, or more circuit boards. One or more of the circuit boards may not necessarily extend the full length of an edge of the substrate 400, and/or two or more circuit boards may be affixed to the same edge of the substrate 400. The circuit board(s) may not lie flush with the edges of the substrate 400, but rather may overhang one or more edges or may be positioned a distance away from an edge. A blank (i.e., optically transparent, without deposits of phosphor 920) piece of material may be added as an additional locator for the plate 1240. The plate 1240 may include optics such as lenses, waveguides, reflectors, diffractors and/or diffusers.
Electronic modules 1200 may be fabricated by assembling different substrates 400 with wire bonds, soldered jumper wires, flexible connectors, anisotropic conductive films or other means of electrical connection to produce arrays of one or more tiles. An embodiment of such a module 1400 is shown in
Any or all of the circuit boards 1210, 1220, 1230 and multiple substrates 400 may be mounted on a single large-area transparent carrier 1410 with or without phosphors and or optical elements to form a thin panel with a substantially constant luminance distribution, suitable for a wide range of uses, for example for general or architectural lighting applications or as a backlight unit for LCD display panels.
In various embodiments, a light sensor 1610 may be incorporated into each of multiple modules 1600 functioning as a luminaire, such that the light sensor 1610 samples the ambient that is substantially illuminated by that luminaire. If the light intensity is larger than a certain threshold level, the module(s) 1600 in the luminaire are dimmed to a point where the sensed light intensity (i.e., the aggregate light intensity from other sources in the ambient, e.g., sunlight, and the module 1600 itself) is at the threshold value. In this manner, a new or retrofit unit incorporating one or more modules 1600 may provide substantial energy savings through daylight harvesting, without the need to install an expensive central lighting control system. This is a particular advantage when installing retrofit units, as it obviates the need to install wiring required for a central control system in an existing building or other installation.
In another embodiment, an occupancy sensor 1610 is incorporated into one or more modules 1600 functioning as a luminaire. In a similar manner as discussed above, the occupancy sensor 1610 may sample the area illuminated by the luminaire, and if no occupant is present, dim or turn off the luminaire. This may result in energy savings without a “pillar of light” situation, where only one light is on over an occupied area. Such modules 1600 may also incorporate a low-level communication system for communication between modules. The communication system may enable synchronization of nearby luminaries to provide improved light quality while conserving energy. Such operation may also be synchronized with daylight harvesting. Different communication techniques may be used for this, but various embodiments may use wired, wireless or optical communication, where one or more light-emitting semiconductor dies 300 are modulated at a high frequency to provide the communication signal.
In some embodiments of the invention, the above-described control circuits preferably include modulation/demodulation circuitry, and may even include circuitry such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, or the like to process the transmitted and/or received communications. The signals may, for example, represent commands that adjust the operation of a master lighting system incorporating the modules 1600. Suitable network and communication circuitry are well characterized in the art and a networked system of intercommunicating such lighting systems can be straightforwardly configured without undue experimentation.
In various embodiments, each module 1600 may sense the state of its nearest-neighbor modules 1600 (or other light-emitting fixtures) and take some action based on what is sensed. For example, as depicted in
In the embodiment shown in
Similarly,
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
The module 2100 may be mounted into a housing as shown in
In various embodiments of the present invention, LEEs may have more than two (2) terminals (i.e., contacts) and may be electrically coupled to more than two conductive traces.
In various embodiments, each LEE unit is electrically coupled to separate terminals. For example, in
While
While
While the LEEs of
In various embodiments of the present invention, the LEE may include functionality beyond light emission from the LEE units. For example, in various embodiments the LEE may include control and/or communication functionality, for example to energize one or more LEE units and/or to change the current and/or light intensity of each LEE unit.
The controller 3130 that executes commands and instructions may be a general-purpose computer processor, but may utilize any of a wide variety of other technologies including special-purpose hardware, a microcomputer, mini-computer, mainframe computer, programmed micro-processor, micro-controller, peripheral integrated circuit element, a CSIC (Customer Specific Integrated Circuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a logic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), PLA (Programmable Logic Array), RFID processor, smart chip, or any other device or arrangement of devices that is capable of implementing the steps of the processes of embodiments of the invention.
In various embodiments of the present invention, an LEE, for example LEE 3100 that includes one or more controllers 3130, may be configured to communicate with a master controller 3140 as shown in
The master controller 3140 that provides commands and instructions may be a general-purpose computer processor, but may utilize any of a wide variety of other technologies including special-purpose hardware, a microcomputer, mini-computer, mainframe computer, programmed micro-processor, micro-controller, peripheral integrated circuit element, a CSIC, ASIC, a logic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device such as an FPGA, PLD, PLA, RFID processor, smart chip, or any other device or arrangement of devices that is capable of implementing the steps of the processes of embodiments of the invention. The master controller 3140 may accept user commands regarding a desired lighting configuration for one or more LEES that receive instructions from master controller 3140 via one or more user-input devices such as knobs, buttons, dials, or computers or other computing devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, etc.) executing software for receiving user commands and conveying them to master controller 3140 via wired or wireless communication.
In various embodiments of the present invention, multiple LEEs, for example LEEs 3100a, 3100b, and 3100n, may be configured to communicate with master controller 3140 as shown in
While
In various embodiments, communication between master controller 3140 and one or more LEEs may not require a hard-wired communication pathway, but may be configured as radio-based communication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, or any other radio-based communication protocol), light-based communication protocol (e.g., visible light, infrared light, or any other light-based communication protocol), or any other wireless communication protocol.
In various embodiments of the present invention, master controller 3140 and controllers 3130 may include, consist essentially of, or consist of one or more modules that support a communication protocol, for example 1-Wire, Up/Down, I2C, SPI, Serial, Parallel, Ethernet, Bluetooth, WiFi, or the like. (These communication protocols may be synchronous, asynchronous, single master or multi master, half duplex, full duplex, peer, multi-drop, or multi-point.) In various embodiments, master controller 3140 and controllers 3130 may include, consist essentially of, or consist of hardware (for example electronic circuitry) and/or software. In various embodiments of the present invention, one function of master controller 3140 is to provide a communication signal that may be translated by a controller 3130 to usable information for use by controller 3130; thus, in various embodiments master controller 3140 and/or controller 3130 may include, consist essentially of, or consist of analog and/or digital circuitry, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a look-up table, or other circuitry to translate the external communication signal to one or more commands to or information within controller 3130, for example to provide a desired current value, to provide a specific address of a LEE 3100, to provide a desired dimming level, or the like. The specific type or circuitry of master controller 3140 and/or controller 3130 is not a limitation of the present invention.
In various embodiments of the present invention, an LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a packaged LEE, for example an LEE including, consisting essentially of, or consisting of two or more LEE units and one or more optional control elements or controllers; however, this is not a limitation of the present invention, and in other embodiments a LEE may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a monolithic semiconductor device, i.e., a device fabricated in or on a single semiconductor substrate or a hybrid device including one or more LEE units and one or more optional controllers mounted on a substrate or submount.
Conductive traces 1 mm wide were formed on glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, where the PET substrates had a thickness of about 5 mils. The conductive traces included a bottom layer of Cr and a top layer of Au evaporated sequentially onto the substrate. The Cr thickness was about 30 nm and the Au thickness was about 300 nm. The conductive traces had gaps with a width of about 90 μm in positions where LEDs were to be attached. The LEDs were about 13 mils wide and about 24 mils long and had two contacts on the same side of the die. Kyocera 0604C ACA was dispensed over the gap such that a portion of the end of each conductive trace adjacent to the gap, as well as the gap region, was covered with ACA. The LED die was then placed, contact side down onto the ACA such that at least a portion of the n-contact was over at least a portion of the trace on one side of the gap and at least a portion of the p-contact was over at least a portion of the trace on the other side of the gap. The PET sheet with LEDs was then placed in a heat press on a compliant pad with the LEDs facing up. A piece of glass was placed over the LEDs, and the heat-plate portion of the press was applied. The plate was set to 125° C. Pressure was applied and the PET sheet was left in the press for 10 min, then removed from the press and allowed to cool before removing the glass on the surface. Following the heat press operation, the sheet was dimpled where the LEDs were, indicating a deformation of the PET sheet during the process. The LED die attached to the PET substrates had 100% yield with respect to conduction, with no shorts or opens. LED die attached to the glass slide via an equivalent process exhibited a large percentage (˜50% or more) of intermittent contact failures.
Conductive traces 1 mm wide were formed on PET substrates having thicknesses of about 5 mils. Conductive traces were formed on the substrates by screen printing of silver ink. The height of the silver screen-printed traces was about 4 μm. The conductive traces had gaps with widths of approximately 90 μm to 150 μm in positions where LEDs were to be attached. The LEDs were about 13 mils wide and about 24 mils long and had both contacts on the same side of the die. Kyocera 0604C ACA was dispensed over the gap, such that a portion of the end of each conductive trace adjacent to the gap, as well as the gap region, was covered with ACA. The LED die was then placed, contact side down, onto the ACA such that at least a portion of the n-contact was over at least a portion of the trace on one side of the gap and at least a portion of the p-contact was over at least a portion of the trace on the other side of the gap. The PET sheet with LEDs was then placed in a heat press on a compliant pad with the LEDs facing up. A piece of glass was placed over the LEDs, and the heat plate portion of the press was applied. The heat plate was set to 125° C. Pressure was applied, and the PET sheet was left in the press for 10 min and then removed from the press and allowed to cool before removing the glass from the surface. As mentioned in Example 1, following the heat press operation, the sheet was dimpled where the LEDs were attached, indicating a deformation of the PET sheet during the process. The LED die attached to the PET substrates had over 99.8% yield with respect to conduction, with only shorts for the 0.2% failed LEDs for placement of over 7000 die.
A device featured a LED emitting blue light adhered to a yielding substrate as described above, and a phosphor mixture was disposed in a well surrounding the LED such that the light emitted from the device was substantially white with a specific nominal correlated color temperature (CCT) and a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of at least 75. The phosphor mixture included 6% to 12% by weight yellow-emitting Al5O12Y3:Ce2+ phosphor (NYAG4563-S), 10% to 50% by weight (relative to the first phosphor) amber-emitting (SrBaMg)2SiO4:Eu2+ phosphor (O6040), 3% to 30% by weight (relative to the first phosphor) red-emitting CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphor (R6535), and 1% to 5% by weight (relative to the first phosphor) green-emitting (SrBaMg)2SiO4:Eu2+ phosphor (Y3957), all of which are available from Intematix Corporation of Fremont, Calif.
The phosphor mixture was combined in the ratio of 1% to 5% by weight (relative to the first phosphor) with fumed silica (CAB-O-SIL CT-1221) available from Cabot Corporation of Billerica, Mass. in the ratio of 1% to 2% by weight with optically transparent silicone elastomer (Sylgard 184) available from Dow Corning Corporation. The fumed silica (in other embodiments fumed alumina is utilized in addition to or instead of fumed silica) alleviates phosphor particle agglomeration and enhances the efficiency of light extraction from the phosphors. The phosphor mixture was degassed and then injected into the wells. The mixture was injected utilizing a 3 cc syringe with a tip size of 27 to 32 gauge, and the phosphor mixture is ejected by means of compressed air at 40 psi or a mechanically-activated plunger. A thickness of 250 to 500 μm was obtained by limiting the stroke length of the plunger or the application of compressed air to a predetermined time (e.g., 2 to 7 seconds).
Two different formulations of the phosphor mixture produced different CCT values. The first mixture provided a CCT of 3500 K, and included 10% NYAG4653-S, 25% R6535, 3% fumed silica, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material having a refractive index of 1.43, and had a thickness of approximately 250 μm. The second mixture provided a CCT of 5000 K, and included 8.5% NYAG4653-S, 5% R6535, 3% fumed silica, and PDMS material having a refractive index of 1.43, and had a thickness of approximately 250 μm. In another embodiment the phosphor binder was Dow OE-6550 with a refractive index of approximately 1.53.
The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms and expressions of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. In addition, having described certain embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating the concepts disclosed herein may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative and not restrictive.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/215,053, filed Jul. 20, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/976,698, filed Dec. 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,426,860 issued Aug. 23, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/704,334, filed May 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,252,373 issued Feb. 2, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/456,573, filed Aug. 11, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,054,290 issued Jun. 9, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/169,384, filed Jan. 31, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,907,370 issued Dec. 9, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/014,998, filed Aug. 30, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,680,567 issued Mar. 25, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/751,563, filed Jan. 28, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,552,463 issued Oct. 8, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/171,973, filed Jun. 29, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,384,121 issued Feb. 26, 2013, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/359,467, filed Jun. 29, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/363,179, filed Jul. 9, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/376,707, filed Aug. 25, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/390,128, filed Oct. 5, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/393,027, filed Oct. 14, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/433,249, filed Jan. 16, 2011, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/445,416, filed Feb. 22, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/447,680, filed Feb. 28, 2011. The entire disclosure of each of these applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8384121 | Tischler | Feb 2013 | B2 |
| 8552463 | Tischler | Oct 2013 | B2 |
| 8680567 | Tischler | Mar 2014 | B2 |
| 8907370 | Tischler | Dec 2014 | B2 |
| 9054290 | Tischler | Jun 2015 | B2 |
| 9252373 | Tischler | Feb 2016 | B2 |
| 9426860 | Tischler | Aug 2016 | B2 |
| 20160327220 | Tischler | Nov 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61359467 | Jun 2010 | US | |
| 61363179 | Jul 2010 | US | |
| 61376707 | Aug 2010 | US | |
| 61390128 | Oct 2010 | US | |
| 61393027 | Oct 2010 | US | |
| 61433249 | Jan 2011 | US | |
| 61445416 | Feb 2011 | US | |
| 61447680 | Feb 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14976698 | Dec 2015 | US |
| Child | 15215053 | US | |
| Parent | 14704334 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 14976698 | US | |
| Parent | 14456573 | Aug 2014 | US |
| Child | 14704334 | US | |
| Parent | 14169384 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Child | 14456573 | US | |
| Parent | 14014998 | Aug 2013 | US |
| Child | 14169384 | US | |
| Parent | 13751563 | Jan 2013 | US |
| Child | 14014998 | US | |
| Parent | 13171973 | Jun 2011 | US |
| Child | 13751563 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15215053 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Child | 15495014 | US |
