LED with integral thermal via

• US 20070139895A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeoGraf Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Graftech International Holdings Inc (Graftech International Limited)
• Inventors: Cartiglia, James, Reis, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/719
• 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 33/642 characterized by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/021 Components thermally connected to metal substrates or heat-sinks by insert mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/182 associated with components mounted in the printed circuit board, e.g. insert mounted components [IMC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]

Abstract

A light emitting diode comprising a body and a thermal via integral therewith and which extends from the body.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode comprising a body and a thermal via integral therewith and which extends from the body.

2. The diode of claim 1, wherein the thermal via comprises a high thermal conductivity material.

3. The diode of claim 2, wherein the thermal via forms a thermal pathway form the light emitting diode to a heat dissipation article.

4. A circuit assembly comprising a substrate which comprises a dielectric layer, a heat spreader layer located at a first surface of the substrate, a light emitting diode located at a second surface of the substrate, the light emitting diode comprising a body and a thermal via integral therewith and which extends from the body through the dielectric layer and into thermal connection with the heat spreader layer.

5. The circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the heat spreader layer comprises copper, aluminum, an alloy of copper, an alloy of aluminum, a sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite, or combinations thereof.

6. The circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the second surface of the substrate has a circuit thereon.

7. The circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass fiber impregnated with resin;

polytetrafluoroethylene;

expanded polytetrafluoroethylene;

a polymer;

a ceramic material;

or combinations thereof.

8. The circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the dielectric layer comprises anodized aluminum, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide or alumina.

9. The circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermal via comprises a high thermal conductivity material.

10. The circuit assembly of claim 9, wherein the thermal conductivity of the thermal via is greater than the through-thickness thermal conductivity of the dielectric layer.

11. The circuit assembly of claim 9, wherein the thermal via comprises copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

12. The circuit assembly of claim 4, further comprising a dielectric layer on the thermal via, wherein the dielectric layer comprises anodized aluminum, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide or alumina.

13. A light emitting diode assembly comprising a light emitting diode and thermal via in operative contact with the light emitting diode, wherein the thermal via is sized such that it can extend into thermal connection with a heat dissipation article.

14. The light emitting diode assembly of claim 13 wherein the thermal via is sized to extend through the dielectric layer of a circuit assembly and into thermal connection with the heat spreader layer of the circuit assembly.

15. The light emitting diode assembly of claim 13, wherein the thermal via comprises a high thermal conductivity material.

16. The light emitting diode assembly of claim 159, wherein the thermal conductivity of the thermal pathway is greater than the through-thickness thermal conductivity of the dielectric layer.

17. The light emitting diode assembly of claim 16, wherein the thermal via comprises copper, aluminum, or alloys thereof.

18. The light emitting diode assembly of claim 17, further comprising a dielectric layer on the thermal via, wherein the dielectric layer comprises anodized aluminum, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide or alumina.