Polarization recycling illumination assembly and methods

• US 20070285000A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lim, Michael, Doyle, David, Pokrovskiy, Alexander, Nemchuk, Nikolay, Erchak, Alexei
• Application Number:
  US11/804,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/501
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0083 Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package, e.g. photonic bandgap structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/854 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/868 Arrangements for polarized light emission H10K50/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/875 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/877 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8793 Arrangements for polarized light emission H10K59/8791 takes precedence

Abstract

Light-emitting devices and/or systems are described. In some embodiments, light-emitting devices and/or systems can recycle at least some light generated by a light-generating region of the light-emitting device. In one embodiment, a light-emitting assembly comprises an illumination component having at least one light input surface and at least one light emission surface, a solid-state light source configured to emit at least some light into the at least one light input surface of the illumination component, a polarization manipulation region configured to alter a polarization of light in a different way for light impinging on different locations of the polarization manipulation region, and a polarizer configured to receive at least some light emitted via the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component and further configured to output light having a first polarization and return, to the polarization manipulation region, light having a second polarization.

Claims

1. A light-emitting assembly comprising:

an illumination component having at least one light input surface and at least one light emission surface;

a solid-state light source configured to emit at least some light into the at least one light input surface of the illumination component;

a polarization manipulation region configured to alter a polarization of light in a different way for light impinging on different locations of the polarization manipulation region; and

a polarizer configured to receive at least some light emitted via the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component and further configured to output light having a first polarization and return, to the polarization manipulation region, light having a second polarization.

2. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarization manipulation region comprises a dielectric function that varies spatially according to a pattern.

3. The light-emitting system of claim 2, wherein the region having the dielectric function that varies spatially according to the pattern allows light to pass therethrough.

4. The light-emitting system of claim 2, wherein the region having the dielectric function that varies spatially according to the pattern comprise a plurality of holes.

5. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of holes have a size of less than 1 micron.

6. The light-emitting assembly of claim 2, wherein the pattern varies spatially along at least two dimensions.

7. The light-emitting assembly of claim 2, wherein the pattern comprises a periodic pattern.

8. The light-emitting assembly of claim 2, wherein the pattern comprises a non-periodic pattern.

9. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarizer is disposed over the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component.

10. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarizer is disposed directly on the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component.

11. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the illumination component includes the polarization manipulation region.

12. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarizer comprises a wire-grid polarizer.

13. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the illumination component comprises a panel, and the at least one light input surface comprises an edge of the panel.

14. The light-emitting assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one light emission surface comprises a face of the panel.

15. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the solid-state light source comprises at least one light-emitting diode.

16. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the solid-state light source comprises at least one laser diode.

17. The light-emitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the illumination component includes a wavelength conversion material.

18. A method of making a light-emitting assembly comprising:

providing an illumination component having at least one light input surface and at least one light emission surface;

providing a solid-state light source configured to emit at least some light into the at least one light input surface of the illumination component;

providing a polarization manipulation region configured to alter a polarization of light in a different way for light impinging on different locations of the polarization manipulation region; and

providing a polarizer configured to receive at least some light emitted via the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component and further configured to output light having a first polarization and return, to the polarization manipulation region, light having a second polarization.

19. A light-emitting assembly comprising:

an illumination component having at least one light input surface and at least one light emission surface;

a solid-state light source configured to emit at least some light into the at least one light input surface of the illumination component;

a wavelength converting material configured to convert a wavelength of the light emitted the solid-state light source; and

a polarizer configured to receive at least some light emitted via the at least one light emission surface of the illumination component and further configured to output light having a first polarization and return, into the illumination component, light having a second polarization.

20. The light-emitting system of claim 19, wherein the wavelength converting material is dispersed within the illumination component.