LED assembly with LED position template and method of making an LED assembly using LED position template

• US 20060181877A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Sidwell, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/647 the elements conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body

Abstract

A light emitting diode (LED) assembly and a method of making the assembly, in which a container having an open top is provided with a two sets of holes through a bottom of the container, an electrically conductive heat sink is attached to the container bottom beneath the first set of holes, and in which an electrically conductive sheet is attached to the container bottom beneath the second set of holes, where the heat sink and sheet are isolated from each other. LEDs are placed in the first set of holes so that each has a first LED terminal on and adhered to an exposed part of the heat sink through the respective one of the first holes and in which a second LED terminal is connected via a wire lead to the sheet through a respective one of the second holes.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode (LED) assembly, comprising:

a walled container having an open top and a bottom, said bottom formed with a first set of plural holes and a second set of plural holes there through;

a first electrically and thermally conductive conductor attached to an exterior surface of said bottom beneath said first set of holes and that is exposed in said first set of holes;

a second electrically conductive conductor attached to the exterior surface of said bottom beneath said second set of holes and that is exposed in said second set of holes, said first and second sheets being spaced apart from each other;

plurality of LEDs that are each in a different one of the holes in said first set of holes and that each have a base, which is a first LED terminal, on and attached to an exposed part of said first conductor through the respective one of the holes in said first set of holes and a second LED terminal connected via a wire lead to said second conductor through a respective one of the holes in said second set of holes; and

a transparent material in said container covering said LEDs.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first conductor and second conductor are coplanar.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said transparent material fills said container and covers said first set of holes and said second set of holes and said wire lead.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said bottom of said container is planar.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first conductor extends beyond a periphery of said container on three sides of said container.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a generally planar substrate supporting both said first conductor and second conductor.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said container is plastic and reflects light from said LEDs.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive adhesive attaching said LEDs to said first conductor.

9. The assembly of claim 1, further including bonding pads formed on said secondconductor and exposed in said second set of holes, each said wire lead being bonded to a respective one of said pads exposed in a respective one of said second set of holes.

10. A method of making a light emitting diode (LED) assembly, comprising the steps of:

forming a first set of holes and a second set of holes through a bottom of a walled container having an open top;

attaching a first electrically and thermally conductive conductor to an exterior surface of the bottom beneath the first set of holes so that the first conductor is exposed in the first set of holes;

attaching a second electrically conductive conductor to the exterior surface of the bottom beneath the second set of holes so that the second conductor is exposed in the second set of holes, the first and second conductors being spaced apart from each other;

placing each of plural LEDs on an exposed part of the first conductor in a different hole of the first set of holes and attaching a base thereof, which is a first LED terminal, to the exposed part of the first conductor;

attaching the second conductor to second terminals of the LEDs with respective wire leads that each extend from a respective one of the LEDs to the second conductor through a respective one of the holes in the second set of holes; and

covering the LEDs with a transparent material in the container.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transparent material also covers the first and second holes and the wire lead during the covering step.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of attaching a generally planar supporting substrate to both the first and second conductors.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the LEDs are attached to the first conductor with an electrically conductive adhesive.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of attaching bonding pads to parts of the second conductor exposed in the holes in the second set of holes and bonding each of the wire leads to a respective one of the pads.

15. A light emitting diode (LED) assembly, comprising:

a container with light reflective interior walls and having an open top and a bottom with a first set and a second set of plural holes there through;

an electrically conductive heat sink attached to an exterior surface of said bottom beneath said first set of holes and that is exposed in said first set of holes;

an electrically conductive conductor attached to the exterior surface of said bottom beneath said second set of holes and that is exposed in said second set of holes, said heat sink and said conductor being electrically isolated from each other;

plurality LEDs that are each in a different one of the holes in said first set of holes and that each have a generally flat base, which is a first LED terminal, on and adhered to an exposed generally flat part of said heat sink through the respective one of the holes in said first set of holes and a second LED terminal connected via a wire lead to said conductor through a respective one of the holes in said second set of holes; and

a transparent material in said container covering said LEDs, said wire lead, and said first and second sets of holes.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said transparent material fills said container.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein said heat sink extends beyond a periphery of said container on three sides of said container.

18. The assembly of claim 15, further comprising an electrically conductive adhesive attaching said LEDs to said heat sink.

19. The assembly of claim 15, further comprising bonding pads in the holes in said second set of holes, each said wire lead being bonded to a respective one of said pads.