LED DEVICE WITH RE-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR CONSTRUCTION AND REFLECTOR

• US 20070284592A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Haase, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,863,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/79
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil

Abstract

Briefly, the present disclosure provides a device comprising: a) an LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength; b) a re-emitting semiconductor construction which comprises a potential well not located within a pn junction; and c) a reflector positioned to reflect light emitted from the LED onto the re-emitting semiconductor construction. Alternately, the device comprises: a) an LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength; b) a re-emitting semiconductor construction capable of emitting light at a second wavelength which comprises at least one potential well not located within a pn junction; and c) a reflector which transmits light at said first wavelength and reflects at least a portion of light at said second wavelength. Alternately, the device comprises a semiconductor unit comprising a first potential well located within a pn junction which comprises a LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength, and a second potential well not located within a pn junction which comprises a re-emitting semiconductor construction.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a) an LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength;

b) a re-emitting semiconductor construction which comprises a potential well not located within a pn junction; and

c) a reflector positioned to reflect light emitted from the LED onto the re-emitting semiconductor construction.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said re-emitting semiconductor construction additionally comprises an absorbing layer closely adjacent or immediately adjacent to at least one of said at least one potential well.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein at least one potential well includes a quantum well.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is a multilayer reflector.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is a non-planar flexible multilayer reflector.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is a reflective polarizer layer.

7. A graphic display device comprising the device according to claim 1.

8. An illumination device comprising the device according to claim 1.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the re-emitting semiconductor construction is capable of emitting light at a second wavelength;

and wherein the reflector reflects light at said first wavelength and transmits light at said second wavelength.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the reflector is an interference reflector which is positioned closely adjacent to the re-emitting semiconductor construction;

and wherein the device additionally comprises a TIR promoting layer immediately adjacent to the re-emitting semiconductor construction, the TIR promoting layer having a first index of refraction at said first wavelength and a second index of refraction at the second wavelength that is less than the first index of refraction.

11. A device comprising:

a) an LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength;

b) a re-emitting semiconductor construction capable of emitting light at a second wavelength which comprises at least one potential well not located within a pn junction; and

c) a reflector which transmits light at said first wavelength and reflects at least a portion of light at said second wavelength.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said re-emitting semiconductor construction additionally comprises an absorbing layer closely adjacent or immediately adjacent to at least one of said at least one potential well.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one potential well includes a quantum well.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the reflector is positioned between the LED and the re-emitting semiconductor construction.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the reflector is a multilayer reflector.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the reflector is a non-planar flexible multilayer reflector.

17. A graphic display device comprising the device according to claim 11.

18. An illumination device comprising the device according to claim 11.

19. A device comprising:

a) a semiconductor unit comprising;

i) a first potential well located within a pn junction which comprises a LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength, and

ii) a second potential well not located within a pn junction which comprises a re-emitting semiconductor construction; and

b) a reflector positioned to reflect light emitted from the LED onto the re-emitting semiconductor construction.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein said re-emitting semiconductor construction additionally comprises an absorbing layer closely adjacent or immediately adjacent to at least one of said at least one potential well.

21. The device according to claim 19, wherein at least one potential well includes a quantum well.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein the re-emitting semiconductor construction is capable of emitting light at a second wavelength;

and wherein the reflector reflects light at said first wavelength and transmits light at said second wavelength.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the reflector is an interference reflector which is positioned closely adjacent to the re-emitting semiconductor construction;

and wherein the device additionally comprises a TIR promoting layer immediately adjacent to the re-emitting semiconductor construction, the TIR promoting layer having a first index of refraction at said first wavelength and a second index of refraction at the second wavelength that is less than the first index of refraction

24. The device according to claim 19, wherein the reflector is a multilayer reflector.

25. The device according to claim 19, wherein the reflector is a non-planar flexible multilayer reflector.

26. The device according to claim 19, wherein the reflector is a reflective polarizer layer.

27. A graphic display device comprising the device according to claim 19.

28. An illumination device comprising the device according to claim 19.