LED PACKAGE WITH NON-BONDED CONVERGING OPTICAL ELEMENT

• US 20070258241A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Dong, Ouderkirk, Andrew, Leatherdale, Catherine
• Application Number:
  US11/381,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/244
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0071 adapted to illuminate a complete hemisphere or a plane extending 360 degrees around the source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/33 Immersion oils , or microscope systems or objectives for use with immersion fluids
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

The present application discloses a light source comprising an LED die having an emitting surface and an optical element including a base, an apex, and a side joining the base and the apex, wherein the base is optically coupled to and mechanically decoupled from the emitting surface.

Claims

1. A light source, comprising:

an LED die having an emitting surface; and

an optical element including a base, an apex, and a side joining the base and the apex,

wherein the base is optically coupled to and mechanically decoupled from the emitting surface.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein the apex resides over the emitting surface.

3. The light source of claim 1, wherein the apex is centered over the base.

4. The light source of claim 1, wherein the apex is blunted.

5. The light source of claim 1, further comprising an optically conducting layer disposed between the optical element and the emitting surface.

6. The light source of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the optically conducting layer is less than 50 nm.

7. The light source of claim 1, wherein the base and the emitting surface are substantially matched in size.

8. The light source of claim 1, wherein the base is smaller than the emitting surface.

9. The light source of claim 1, wherein the optical element has an index of refraction, n_o≧

1.75.

10. The light source of claim 1, wherein the optical element consists of inorganic material.

11. The light source of claim 1, wherein the LED die is one of a plurality of LED dies arranged in an array.

12. The light source of claim 11, wherein the base of the optical element and the LED die array are substantially matched in size.

13. The light source of claim 1, wherein the optical element is shaped as a polyhedron.

14. The light source of claim 13, wherein the base is rectangular and wherein the optical element includes four sides, each side extending between the base and the apex.

15. The light source of claim 1, wherein the base is circular.

16. The light source of claim 1, wherein the base is quadriladeral.