Light-emitting diode with plastic reflector cup

• US 20030001166A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Document Security Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Waalib-Singh, Nirmal K., Wong, Marcus Chi-Yuen, Fiteri-Aziz, Zainal
• Granted Patent: US 6,878,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/483 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

A light-emitting diode comprising a light-emitting diode die, a lead frame, a reflector cup and a dome encapsulating at least the light-emitting diode die and the reflector cup, wherein the reflector cup is made of a plastic material.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode comprising:

a light-emitting diode die for emitting light and having a first terminal and a second terminal,

a lead frame comprising a first lead frame portion and a second lead frame portion, the first lead frame portion being electrically coupled to the first terminal and the second lead frame portion being electrically coupled to the second terminal,

a reflector cup comprising a body made of a plastic material having an inner surface facing the light-emitting diode die and an outer surface facing outwards from the light-emitting diode die, the reflector cup being arranged to reflect light emitted from the light-emitting diode die away from the light-emitting diode die, and

a dome encapsulating at least the light-emitting diode die and the reflector cup, the dome being made of a material which is at least partially transparent for light emitted from the light-emitting diode die.

2. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface and the outer surface extend generally parallel, so that a wall of the reflector cup is delimited by the inner surface and the outer surface, wherein an average thickness of the wall is small as compared to an average diameter of the reflector cup.

3. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein a reflective coating for reflecting light emitted from the light-emitting diode die is formed on the body of the reflector cup.

4. The light-emitting diode according to claim 3, wherein the reflective coating is formed on the inner surface of the body of the reflector cup.

5. The light-emitting diode according to claim 3, wherein the reflective coating is formed on the outer surface of the body of the reflector cup.

6. The light-emitting diode according to claim 3, wherein the reflective coating is made of a material comprising a metal such as aluminum.

7. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are formed on the same side of the light-emitting diode die.

8. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are each formed as a solder joint and wherein the light-emitting diode die is clamped into the lead frame so as to generate a mechanical and electrical connection between the die and the lead frame.

9. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, further comprising an inner frame comprising a first inner frame portion and a second inner frame portion,

wherein the first inner frame portion is electrically coupled between the first terminal and the first lead frame portion, and wherein the second inner frame portion is electrically coupled between the second terminal and the second lead frame portion, and

wherein the first inner frame portion comprises a first locking member, by means of which the first inner frame portion is clamped to the first lead frame portion so as to generate a mechanical and electrical connection between the first inner frame portion and the first lead frame portion, and wherein the second inner frame portion comprises a second locking member, by means of which the second inner frame portion is clamped to the second lead frame portion so as to generate a mechanical and electrical connection between the second inner frame portion and the second lead frame portion.

10. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first lead frame portion comprises a plurality of contact fingers at an end facing the light-emitting diode die and the second lead frame portion comprises a plurality of contact fingers at an end facing the light-emitting diode die, respectively for contacting the light-emitting diode die.

11. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first lead frame portion and the second lead frame portion extend in a direction extending generally parallel with respect to a direction of strongest emission of the light-emitting diode die.

12. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first lead frame portion and the second lead frame portion extend in a direction extending generally perpendicular with respect to a direction of strongest emission of the light-emitting diode die.

13. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diode die is mounted on a printed circuit board.

14. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is a positive terminal, and the second terminal is a negative terminal.

15. A light-emitting diode comprising:

a light-emitting diode die for emitting light and having a first terminal and a second terminal,

a lead frame comprising a first lead frame portion and a second lead frame portion, the first lead frame portion being electrically coupled to the first terminal and the second lead frame portion being electrically coupled to the second terminal,

a reflector comprising a body having an inner surface facing the light-emitting diode die and an outer surface facing off the light-emitting diode die, the reflector being arranged to reflect light emitted from the light-emitting diode die, and

a dome encapsulating at least the light-emitting diode die and the reflector, the dome being made of a material which is at least partially transparent for light emitted from the light-emitting diode die,

wherein the body of the reflector is made of a plastic material, and the outer surface of the body of the reflector is coated with a reflective coating and shaped so that the reflective coating coated thereon reflects light emitted from the light-emitting diode die away from the light-emitting diode die.