(12) United States Patent
`Shimizu et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 8,309,375 B2
`Nov. 13, 2012
`
`US0083.09375B2
`
`LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY
`
`Inventors: Yoshinori Shimizu, Tokushima (JP);
`Kensho Sakano, Anan (JP); Yasunobu
`Noguchi, Tokushima (JP); Toshio
`Moriguchi, Anan (JP)
`Assignee: Nichia Corporation, Anan-shi (JP)
`Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`Appl. No.: 12/942,792
`
`Filed:
`
`Nov. 9, 2010
`
`Prior Publication Data
`|US 2011/00532.99 A1
`Mar. 3, 2011
`
`(54)
`(75)
`
`(73)
`(*)
`
`(21)
`(22)
`(65)
`
`(62)
`
`(52) U.S. Cl. .................... 438/21: 438/27; 257/E33,044:
`257/E33,059; 257/99
`(58) Field of Classification Search .............. 438/21–27;
`257/98, E33,044, E33,059; 349/69–105
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`|U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner – Charles Garber
`Assistant Examiner – Abdulfattah Mustapha
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm – Birch, Stewart, Kolasch &
`Birch, LLP
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`Division of application No. 12/548,614, filed on Aug.
`27, 2009, now Pat. No. 8,148,177, which is a division
`of application No. 12/028,062, filed on Feb. 8, 2008,
`now Pat. No. 7,682,848, which is a division of
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`Pat. No. 7,362,048, which is a division of application
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`08/902,725, filed on Jul. 29, 1997, now Pat. No.
`5,998,925.
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A method for manufacturing a light emitting device com
`prises: preparing a light emitting component having an active
`layer of a semiconductor, the active layer comprising a gal
`lium nitride based semiconductor containing indium and
`being capable of emitting a blue color light; preparing a
`phosphor capable of absorbing a part of the blue color light
`emitted from the light emitting component and emitting a
`yellow color light, wherein selection of the phosphor is con
`(JP) … P 08-198585
`trolled based on an emission wavelength of the light emitting
`(JP) ....
`... P 08-244339
`component; and combining the light emitting component and
`(JP) … P 08-245381
`the phosphor so that the blue color light from the light emit
`(JP) … P 08-359004
`ting component and the yellow color light from the phosphor
`(JP) … P 09-08.1010
`are mixed to make a white color light.
`19 Claims, 19 Drawing Sheets
`
`(30)
`Jul. 29, 1996
`Sep. 17, 1996
`Sep. 18, 1996
`Dec. 27, 1996
`Mar. 31, 1997
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`H0 IL 21/00
`
`(2006.01)
`
`
`
`VIZIO 1001
`
`

`
`US 8,309,375 B2
`Page 2
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`US 8,309,375 B2
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`VIZIO 1001
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`

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`US 8,309,375 B2
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`characteristics of Y3Al5O12:Ce3+”, J. Electrochem. Soc., vol. 120,
`No. 6, Jun. 1973.
`D.J. Robbins et al., “Lattice Defects and Energy Transfer Phenomena
`in Y3Al5O12:Ce3+”, pp. 1004-1013, printed Jun. 19, 2001.
`Bando et al., Development and applications of highbright white LED
`lamps, Nov. 29, 1996, The 264” Proceedings of the Institute of
`Phosphor Society, pp. 4-16 of the English translation.
`Office Action issued Dec. 13, 2005, in U.S. Appl. No. 11/208,729
`(U.S. Patent No. 7,215,074).
`Office Action issued Mar 13, 2001, in U.S. Appl. No. 09/458,024
`(U.S. Patent No. 6,614,179).
`Office Action issued Aug. 14, 2002, in U.S. Appl. No. 09/736,425
`(U.S. Patent No. 6,608,332).
`Office Action issued Aug. 19, 2005, in U.S. Appl. No. 10/609,402
`(U.S. Patent No. 7,362,048).
`Office Action issued Jul. 27, 2007, in U.S. Appl. No. 10/609,402
`(U.S. Patent No. 7,362,048).
`Office Action issued Jan. 2, 2008, in U.S. Appl. No. 10/609,402 (U.S.
`Patent No. 7,362,048).
`Office Action issued Apr. 8, 2005, in U.S. Appl. No. 10/677,382 (U.S.
`Patent No. 7,026,756).
`Office Action issued Sep. 7, 2005, in U.S. Appl. No. 10/864,544 (U.S.
`Patent No. 7,126,274).
`U.S. Office Action, dated Jan. 9, 2012, for U.S. Appl. No. 12/947,470.
`U.S. Office Action, dated Mar. 13, 2012, for U.S. Appl. No.
`13/210,027.
`U.S. Office Action issued in co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,681
`on Dec. 5, 2011.
`U.S. Office Action issued in co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,681
`on May 10, 2012.
`Singaporean Examination and Search Reportissued on Jul. 2, 2012 in
`counterpart Singapore Patent Application No. 2010.07151-2.
`Singaporean Examination and Search Reportissued on Jul. 5, 2012 in
`counterpart Singapore Patent Application No. 2010.07150-4.
`U.S. Office Action in co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,681 dated
`Sep. 7, 2012.
`* cited by examiner
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`500
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`600
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`Wavelength (A)
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`intensity
`(%)
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`400
`300
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`Sheet 6 of 19
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`Fig. 7
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`Fig. 10
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`Weathering test
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`Brightness
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`Sheet 11 of 19
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`Fig. 15A
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`120
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`1
`LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.
`12/548,614 filed Aug. 27, 2009 which is a divisional of U.S.
`application Ser. No. 12/028,062 filed Feb. 8, 2008, now U.S.
`Pat. No. 7,682,848 which is a divisional of U.S. application
`Ser. No. 10/609,402 filed Jul. 1, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No.
`7,362,048, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.
`09/458,024, filed Dec. 10, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,179,
`which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/300,315,
`filed on Apr. 28, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,440, which is
`a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/902,725, filed on
`Jul. 29, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,925, which also claims
`priority on Japanese Patent Application Nos. P 08-198585
`filed Jul. 29, 1996; P 08-244339 filed Sep. 17, 1996; P
`08-245381 filed Sep. 18, 1996; P 08-359004 filed Dec. 27,
`1996; and P 09-081010 filed Mar. 31, 1997. The entire con
`tents of each of these applications are hereby incorporated by
`reference.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`2
`color may be caused due to failure in uniformly mixing the
`light emitted by the light emitting components. Thus light
`emitting diodes are effective as light emitting devices for
`generating individual colors, although a satisfactory light
`source capable of emitting white light by using light emitting
`components has not been obtained so far.
`In order to solve these problems, the present applicant
`previously developed light emitting diodes which convert the
`color of light, which is emitted by light emitting components,
`by means of a fluorescent material disclosed in Japanese
`Patent Kokai Nos. 5-152609, 7-99345, 7-176794 and 8-7614.
`The light emitting diodes disclosed in these publications are
`such that, by using light emitting components of one kind, are
`capable of generating light of white and other colors, and are
`constituted as follows.
`The light emitting diode disclosed in the above gazettes are
`made by mounting a light emitting component, having a large
`energy band gap of light emitting layer, in a cup provided at
`the tip of a lead frame, and having a fluorescent material that
`absorbs light emitted by the light emitting component and
`emits light of a wavelength different from that of the absorbed
`light (wavelength conversion), contained in a resin mold
`which covers the light emitting component.
`The light emitting diode disclosed as described above
`capable of emitting white light by mixing the light of a plu
`rality of sources can be made by using a light emitting com
`ponent capable of emitting blue light and molding the light
`emitting component with a resin including a fluorescent
`material that absorbs the light emitted by the blue light emit
`ting diode and emits yellowish light.
`However, conventional light emitting diodes have such
`problems as deterioration of the fluorescent material leading
`to color tone deviation and darkening of the fluorescent mate
`rial resulting in lowered efficiency of extracting light. Dark
`ening here refers to, in the case of using an inorganic fluores
`cent material such as (Cd, Zn)S fluorescent material, for
`example, part of metal elements constituting the fluorescent
`material precipitate or change their properties leading to col
`oration, or, in the case of using an organic fluorescent mate
`rial, coloration due to breakage of double bond in the mol
`ecule. Especially when a light emitting component made of a
`semiconductor having a high energy band gap is used to
`improve the conversion efficiency of the fluorescent material
`(that is, energy of light emitted by the semiconductor is
`increased and number of photons having energies above a
`threshold which can be absorbed by the fluorescent material
`increases, resulting in more light being absorbed), or the
`quantity of fluorescent material consumption is decreased
`(that is, the fluorescent material is irradiated with relatively
`higher energy), light energy absorbed by the fluorescent
`material inevitably increases resulting in more significant
`degradation of the fluorescent material. Use of the light emit
`ting component with higher intensity of light emission for an
`extended period of time causes further more significant deg
`radation of the fluorescent material.
`Also the fluorescent material provided in the vicinity of the
`light emitting component may be exposed to a high tempera
`ture such as rising temperature of the light emitting compo
`ment and heat transmitted from the external environment (for
`example, sunlight in case the device is used outdoors).
`Further, some fluorescent materials are subject to acceler
`ated deterioration due to combination of moisture entered
`from the outside orintroduced during the production process,
`the light and heat transmitted from the light emitting compo
`nent.
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to a light emitting diode used
`in LED display, back light source, traffic signal, trailway
`signal, illuminating switch, indicator, etc. More particularly,
`it relates to a light emitting device (LED) comprising a phos
`phor, which converts the wavelength of light emitted by a
`light emitting component and emits light, and a display
`device using the light emitting device.
`2. Description of Related Art
`A light emitting diode is compact and emits light of clear
`color with high efficiency. It is also free from such a trouble as
`burn-out and has good initial drive characteristic, high vibra
`tion resistance and durability to endure repetitive ON/OFF
`operations, because it is a semiconductor element. Thus it has
`been used widely in such applications as various indicators
`and various light sources. Recently light emitting diodes for
`RGB (red, green and blue) colors having ultra-high lumi
`nance and high efficiency have been developed, and large
`screen LED displays using these light emitting diodes have
`been put into use. The LED display can be operated with less
`power and has such good characteristics as light weight and
`long life, and is therefore expected to be more widely used in
`the future.
`Recently, various attempts have been made to make white
`light sources by using light emitting diodes. Because the light
`emitting diode has a favorable emission spectrum to generate
`monochromatic light, making a light source for white light
`requires it to arrange three light emitting components of R, G
`and B closely to each other while diffusing and mixing the
`light emitted by them. When generating white light with such
`an arrangement, there has been such a problem that white
`light of the desired tone cannot be generated due to variations
`in the tone, luminance and other factors of the light emitting
`component. Also when the light emitting components are
`made of different materials, electric power required for driv
`ing differs from one light emitting diode to another, making it
`necessary to apply different voltages different light emitting
`components, which leads to complex drive circuit. Moreover,
`because the light emitting components are semiconductor
`light emitting components, color tone is subject to variation
`due to the difference in temperature characteristics, chrono
`logical changes and operating environment, or unevenness in
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`When it comes to an organic dye of ionic property, direct
`current electric field in the vicinity of the chip may cause
`electrophoresis, resulting in a change in the color tone.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`4
`emitted by the light emitting component as well as extraneous
`light (sunlight including ultraviolet light, etc.) during outdoor
`use, thereby to provide a light emitting device which experi
`ences extremely less color shift and less luminance decrease.
`The light emitting device of the present invention can also be
`used in such applications that require response speeds as high
`as 120 nsec., for example, because the phosphor used therein
`allows after glow only for a short period of time.
`The phosphorused in the light emitting diode of the present
`invention preferably contains an yttrium-aluminum-garnet
`fluorescent material that contains Y and Al, which enables it
`to increase the luminance of the light emitting device.
`In the light emitting device of the present invention, the
`phosphor may be a fluorescent material represented by a
`general formula (Rei ,Sm,)3(A11 Ga.)sC)12:Ce, where
`0<rk1 and 0<ss 1 and Reis at least one selected from Y and
`Gd, in which case good characteristics can be obtained simi
`larly to the case where the yttrium-aluminum-garnet fluores
`cent material is used.
`Also in the light emitting device of the present invention, it
`is preferable, for the purpose of reducing the temperature
`dependence of light emission characteristics (wavelength of
`emitted light, intensity of light emission, etc.), to use a fluo
`rescent material represented by a general