DIRECT COOLING OF LEDS

• US 20060216865A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Duwayne R., Owen, Mark D., Vlach, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 7,285,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/122
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/59 with forced flow of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/648 the elements comprising fluids, e.g. heat-pipes

Abstract

A thermal management system is provided for semiconductor devices such as an LED array, wherein coolant directly cools the LED array. Preferably, the coolant may be selected, among other bases, based on its index of refraction relative to the index associated with the semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A method of directly cooling a semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device is at least one LED mounted on a substrate, comprising:

applying a coolant to directly cool the at least one LED.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a first coolant to directly cool the LED and applying a second coolant to the substrate to indirectly cool the LED.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first coolant is a fluid and the second coolant is at least one heat pipe.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising cooling the at least one heat pipe with a gas or fluid.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first coolant and the second coolant is a fluid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the coolant is an inert liquid.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first coolant is an index-matching fluid, and the second coolant is a high heat capacity fluid.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second coolant is water.