a2) United States Patent
`US 7,078,732 B1
`(10) Patent No.:
`*Jul. 18, 2006
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Reeh et al.
`
`US007078732B1
`
`(54) LIGHT-RADIATING SEMICONDUCTOR
`COMPONENTWITH A LUMINESCENCE
`CONVERSION ELEMENT
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Ulrike Reeh, Miinchen (DE); Klaus
`Hohn, Tautkirchen (DE); Norbert
`Stath, Regensburg (DE): Giinter Waitl,
`Regensburg (DE); Peter Schlotter,
`Freiburg (DE); Jiirgen Schneider,
`Kirchzarten (DE); Ralf Schmidt,
`Voérstetten (DE)
`
`(73) Assignee: Osram GmbH(DE)
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`Subject to anydisclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent
`is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis-
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/221,789
`(22)
`Filed:
`Dec. 28, 1998
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`d
`63
`
`‘ontinuation of application No.
`C
`I
`i
`f application
`No.
`Jun. 26, 1997,
`
`(DE97T/01337,
`PCT/DE97/01337,
`
`filed on
`filed
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`(30)
`Jun::26, 1996:
`-QQE) sss ccwstisseeieccsninnineien 196 25 622
`
`on. secssssonrencsntssesersrsrscesssoeny 196-38 :667
`Sep. 20,1996
`(CDE)
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`HOIL 33/00
`
`(2006.01)
`
`(52): OBO a.
`
`ssscrsperssosresnsaseastersesmevennenaee BDO ey LOTBD
`
`(58)
`
`(56)
`
`Field of Classification Search.................... 257/89,
`257/98
`See application file for complete search history.
`
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`Primary Examiner—Jerome Jackson
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fish & Richardson P.C.
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`The light-radiating semiconductor component has a
`radiation-emitting semiconductor body and a luminescence
`conversion element. The semiconductor bodyemits radia-
`tionin the ultraviolet, blue and/or green spectral region and
`the luminescence conversion element converts a portion of
`the radiation into radiation of a longer wavelength. This
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`in particular white light, with
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`
`2,096,693 A * LOJL9BT COX wees DLS/4BS
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`33 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
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`
`
`TCL 1020, Page 1
`LOWES 1020, Page 1
`VIZIO Ex. 1020 Page 0001
`
`LOWES 1020, Page 1
`
`VIZIO Ex. 1020 Page 0001
`
`

`

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`

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`In the Matter of Certain Light-Emitting Diodes and Prod-
`ucts Containing Same,
`Investigation No. 337-TA—512,
`“Commission Opinion,” (Public Version), Dated Aug. 29,
`2005.
`
`* cited by examiner
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`Jul. 18, 2006
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`US 7,078,732 B1
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`FIG 4
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`FIG 9
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`FIG 7
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`=
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`400
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`FIG 11
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`Intensity
`Intensity
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`FIG 13
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`US 7,078,732 Bl
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`1
`LIGHT-RADIATING SEMICONDUCTOR
`COMPONENT WITH A LUMINESCENCE
`CONVERSION ELEMENT
`
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This is a continuation of copending International Appli-
`cation PCT/DE97/01337, filed Jun. 26, 1997, which desig-
`nated the United States.
`
`BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`The invention relates to a light-radiating semiconductor
`component with a semiconductor body that emits electro-
`magnetic radiation during operation of the semiconductor
`component. The componenthasat least one first and at least
`one second electrical terminal, whichare electrically con-
`nected to the semiconductor body. The component further
`has a luminescence conversion element with at least one
`luminescent material.
`
`A semiconductor componentofthat type is disclosed, for
`example, in Germanpublished patent application DE 38 04
`293. There, an arrangement having anelectroluminescent or
`laser diode in which the entire emission spectrumradiated
`by the diode is shifted toward greater wavelengths by means
`of a plastic element
`that
`is
`treated with a fluorescent,
`light-converting organic dye. The light radiated by the
`arrangement consequently has a different color from the
`light emitted by the light-emitting diode. Depending on the
`nature of the dye added tothe plastic, light-emitting diode
`arrangements which emit
`light
`in different colors can be
`produced using one and the same type oflight-emitting
`diode.
`
`German published patent application DE 23 47 289
`discloses an infrared (IR) solid-state lamp in which lumi-
`nescent material is applied on the edge of an IR diode and
`converts the IR radiation that is radiated there into visible
`
`light. The aim of this measure is, for supervisory purposes,
`to convert a smallest possible part of the IR radiation emitted
`by the diode into visible light
`in conjunction with the
`smallest possible reductionofthe intensity of the emitted IR
`radiation.
`
`Furthermore, European patent application EP 486 052
`discloses a light-emitting diode in whichat least one semi-
`conductor photoluminescent layer is arranged between the
`substrate and an active electroluminescent layer. The semi-
`conductor photoluminescent layer converts the light ofa first
`wavelength range—the light emitted bythe active layer in
`the direction of the substrate—into light of a second wave-
`length range, with the result
`that, altogether,
`the light-
`emitting diode emits light ofdifferent wavelength ranges.
`In manypotential areas ofapplication for light-emitting
`diodes, such as, for example, in display elements in motor
`vehicle dashboards, lighting in aircraft and automobiles, and
`in full-color LED displays, there is increasingly a demand
`for light-emitting diode arrangements with which polychro-
`matic light, in particular white light, can be produced.
`Japanese patent application JP-07 176 794-A describes a
`white-light-emitting, planar light source in which twoblue-
`light-emitting diodes are arranged at an end ofa transparent
`plate. The diodes emit light into the transparent plate. The
`transparent plate is coated with a fluorescent substance on
`one of the two mutually opposite main surfaces. The fluo-
`rescent substance emits light whenit is excited by the blue
`
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`light of the diodes. The light emitted by the fluorescent
`substance has a different wavelength from that of the blue
`light emitted bythe diodes. In that prior art component, it is
`particularly difficult
`to apply the fluorescent substance in
`such a manner that the light source radiates homogeneous
`white light. Furthermore, the question of reproducibility in
`mass production also poses major problems because even
`slight fluctuations in the thickness of the fuorescent layer,
`for example on account of unevenness ofthe surface ofthe
`transparent plate, cause a changein the shadeofwhite of the
`radiated light.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
`It
`light-radiating semiconductor component, which overcomes
`the above-mentioned disadvantagesofthe heretofore-known
`devices and methods ofthis general type and whichradiates
`homogeneous polychromatic light and ensures technically
`simple mass production with component characteristics that
`are reproducible to the greatest possible extent.
`With the foregoing and other objects in view there is
`provided, in accordance withthe invention, a light-radiating
`semiconductor component, comprising:
`a semiconductor body emitting electromagnetic radiation
`during an operation of the semiconductor component, the
`semiconductor body having a semiconductor layer sequence
`suitable for emitting electromagnetic radiation ofa first
`wavelength range selected froma spectral region consisting
`of ultraviolet, blue, and green:
`a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal
`eachelectrically conductively connected to the semiconduc-
`tor body; and
`least one
`a luminescence conversion element with at
`luminescent material, the luminescence conversion element
`
`converting a radiation originating in the first wavelength
`range into radiation of a second wavelength range different
`fromthe first wavelength range, such that the semiconductor
`component emits polychromatic radiation comprising radia-
`tion of the first wavelengthrange and radiationofthe second
`wavelength range.
`The invention provides for the radiation-emitting semi-
`conductor body to have a layer sequence,
`in particular a
`layer sequence with an active semiconductor layer made of
`Ga,In,_.N or Ga,Al,_.N, which emits an electromagnetic
`radiation of a first wavelength range from the ultraviolet,
`blue and/or green spectral region during operation of the
`semiconductor component. The luminescence conversion
`element converts part of the radiation originating from the
`first wavelengthrange into radiation of a second wavelength
`range,
`in such a way that
`the semiconductor component
`emits polychromatic radiation, in particular polychromatic
`light, comprising radiationof the first wavelength range and
`radiation of the second wavelength range. This means, for
`example,
`that
`the luminescence conversion element spec-
`trally selectively absorbs part ofthe radiation emitted by the
`semiconductor body, preferably only over a spectral subre-
`gionof thefirst wavelength range, and emits it in the region
`of longer wavelength (in the second wavelength range).
`Preferably, the radiation emitted by the semiconductor body
`has arelative intensity maximumat a wavelength 45520
`nm and the wavelength range which is spectrally selectively
`absorbed bythe luminescence conversion element lies out-
`side this intensity maximum.
`In accordance with an added feature ofthe invention, the
`luminescence conversion element converts radiation of the
`
`first wavelength rangeinto radiation ofa plurality of second
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`wavelength ranges from mutually different spectral
`subregions, such that
`the semiconductor component emits
`polychromatic radiation comprising radiation of the first
`wavelength range and radiation ofthe plurality of second
`wavelength ranges. In other words, the invention advanta-
`geously makesit possible also to convert a number (one or
`more) offirst spectral subregions originating fromthe first
`wavelength range into a plurality of second wavelength
`ranges. As a result,
`it
`is possible to produce diverse color
`mixtures and color temperatures.
`The semiconductor component according to the invention
`has the particular advantage that the wavelength spectrum
`generated by way of luminescence conversion and hence the
`color ofthe radiated light do not depend onthe level of the
`operating current intensity through the semiconductor body.
`This has great significance particularly when the ambient
`temperature of the semiconductor component and,
`consequently, as is known, also the operating current inten-
`sity greatly fluctuate. Especially light-emitting diodes hav-
`ing a semiconductor body based on GaN are verysensitive
`in this respect.
`In addition, the semiconductor component according to
`the invention requires only a single driving voltage and, as
`a result, also only a single driving circuit configuration,
`whereby the outlay on devices for the driving circuit of the
`semiconductor component can be kept very low.
`In accordance with an additional feature of the invention,
`the semiconductor component has a defined main radiating
`direction, and the luminescence conversion elementis dis-
`posed substantially downstreamofthe semiconductor body
`in the main radiating direction of the semiconductor com-
`ponent.
`In accordance with another feature of the invention, the
`luminescence conversion element is at least one lumines-
`
`cence conversion layer disposed in a vicinity of the semi-
`conductorbody. In this particularly preferred embodiment of
`the invention, a partially transparent luminescence conver-
`sionlayer, that is to say one whichis partially transparent to
`the radiation emitted by the radiation-emitting semiconduc-
`tor body, is provided as the luminescence conversion ele-
`ment above or on the semiconductor body. In order to ensure
`a uniform color of the radiated light,
`the luminescence
`conversion layer is advantageously designed in such a way
`that
`it has a constant
`thickness throughout. This has the
`particular advantage that the path length ofthe light radiated
`by the semiconductor body through the luminescence con-
`versionlayeris virtually constant for all radiation directions.
`The effect that can be achieved as a result ofthis is that the
`
`semiconductor componentradiates light of the same color in
`all directions. A further particular advantage of a semicon-
`ductor component according to the invention in accordance
`with this developmentconsists in the fact that a high degree
`ofreproducibility can be obtained in a simple manner, which
`is of considerable significance for efficient mass production.
`A resist or resin layer treated with luminescent material may
`be provided, for example, as the luminescence conversion
`layer.
`In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the
`luminescence conversion elementis a luminescence conver-
`sion encapsulation enclosing at least a part of the semicon-
`ductor body and partial
`regions of the first and second
`electrical terminals. The encapsulation ts partially transpar-
`ent and encloses atleast part of the semiconductor body (and
`possibly partial regions ofthe electrical terminals) and can
`simultaneously be utilized as component encapsulation
`(housing). The advantage of a semiconductor component in
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`accordance with this embodiment consists essentiallyin the
`fact that conventional productionlines used for the produc-
`tion of conventional
`light-emitting diodes (for example
`radial light-emitting diodes) can be utilized for its produc-
`tion. The material of the luminescence conversion encapsu-
`lation is used for the component encapsulationinstead ofthe
`transparent plastic which is used for this purpose in con-
`ventional light-emitting diodes.
`In further advantageous embodiments ofthe semiconduc-
`tor component according to the invention and of the two
`preferred embodiments mentioned above, the luminescence
`conversion layer or the luminescence conversion encapsu-
`lation is composed ofa transparent material, for example
`plastic, preferably epoxy resin, which is provided with at
`least one luminescent material (examples ofpreferred plas-
`tics and luminescent materials will be found further below).
`In this way, it is possible to produce luminescence conver-
`sion elements in a particularly cost-effective manner.
`Specifically, the requisite process steps can be integrated in
`conventional productionlines for light-emitting diodes with
`no major outlay.
`In accordance with again an added feature of the
`invention,
`the second wavelength range includes wave-
`lengths at least some of which are longer than wavelengths
`ofthe first wavelength range.
`In accordance with again an additional feature of the
`invention, the semiconductor bodyis adapted to emit ultra-
`violet
`radiation during operation of the semiconductor
`component, and the luminescence conversion element con-
`verts at least a portionofthe ultraviolet radiationinto visible
`light.
`In accordance with again another feature ofthe invention,
`the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range
`ofthe polychromatic radiationlie at least partially in mutu-
`ally complementary-color spectral regions, and a combina-
`tion ofradiation fromthe first and second wavelength range
`results in white light.
`When the second spectral subregion of the first wave-
`length range and a second wavelength range are comple-
`mentary to one another,
`it
`is possible to produce
`polychromatic, in particular white, light from a single col-
`ored light source, in particular a light-emitting diode having
`a single blue-light-radiating semiconductor body. In order,
`for example,
`to produce white light with a blue-light-
`emitting semiconductor body, part ofthe radiation from the
`blue spectral region emitted by the semiconductor body is
`converted into the yellowspectral region, which is comple-
`mentarily colored with respect to blue. The color tempera-
`ture or color locus of the white light can in this case be
`varied by a suitable choice of the luminescence conversion
`element, in particular by a suitable choice of the luminescent
`material, its particle size andits concentration. Furthermore,
`these arrangements also advantageously afford the possibil-
`ity of using luminescent material mixtures, as a result of
`which, advantageously,
`the desired hue can be set very
`accurately. Likewise,
`it
`is possible to configure lumines-
`cence conversion elements inhomogeneously, for example
`by means of inhomogeneous luminescent material distribu-
`tion. Different path lengths ofthe light through the lumi-
`nescence conversion element can advantageously be com-
`pensated for as a result ofthis.
`feature of the
`In accordance with again a further
`invention, the first wavelength range emitted by the semi-
`conductor bodyand two second wavelength ranges produce
`an additive colortriad, such that white light is radiated by the
`semiconductor component during operation thereof.
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`In a further preferred embodiment of the semiconductor
`component according to the invention,
`the luminescence
`conversion element or another constituent of a component
`encapsulationhas, for the purpose of color matching, one or
`more dyes which donot effect wavelength conversion. For
`this purpose, it is possible to use the dyes whichare used for
`the production of conventional light-emitting diodes, such
`as, for example, azo, anthraquinoneor perinone dyes.
`In order to protect the luminescence conversion element
`against an excessively high radiation load, in an advanta-
`geous development or in the above-mentioned preferred
`embodiments ofthe semiconductor component according to
`the invention, at
`least part of the surface of the semicon-
`ductor body is sur