High power solid-state lamp

• US 20080007953A1
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ibbetson, James, Keller, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/294
• 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 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/641 characterized by the materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/642 characterized by the shape

Abstract

A high power semiconductor component structure having a semiconductor device arranged to operate in response to an electrical signal, with the device heating up during operation in response to the electrical signal. A heat sink is positioned in thermal contact with the semiconductor device such that heat from the device transmits into the first heat sink. The heat sink has at least partially a porous material region of a thermally conductive material in a 3-dimensional pore structure with the surfaces of the pore structure providing surface area for heat to dissipate into the ambient air.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a solid state light source; and

a first heat sink positioned in thermal contact with said light source such that heat from said light source transmits into said first heat sink, said first heat sink at least partially comprising a porous material region, said porous material region comprising a thermally conductive material with a randomized, 3-dimensional pore structure with the surfaces of said pore structure providing increased surface area for heat to dissipate into the ambient air, compared to bulk heat sinks.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reflector positioned to reflect light from said light source into directional light emission, heat from said light source at least partially transmitting into said reflector, said first heat sink mounted to said reflector.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board, said light source mounted to said circuit board, and said first heat sink mounted to said circuit board such that heat from said light source transmits at least partially into said first heat sink.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said heat sink has a graded porous material region wherein part of said porous material region has a higher density pore structure than the remaining of said region.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board and a reflector, said light source and reflector mounted to said circuit board such that said reflector reflects at least some of said light from said emitter into directional light emission, and said first heat sink mounted to said circuit board such that heat from said light source transmits into said first heat sink.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a second heat sink mounted to said circuit board such that the light source at least partially transmits heat through said circuit board into said second heat sink.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said porous material region further comprises a dark coating to increase radiation of heat into the ambient air.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein any higher density porous region of said heat sink comprises a solid metal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein any higher density porous region of said heat sink comprises a thermal paste infused into a portion of the porous material.

10. A lamp, comprising:

a solid state light source mounted to a circuit board;

a reflector mounted to said circuit board to reflect at least some of the light from said light source into directional light emission;

contacts for providing electrical power to said solid state light source;

first and second heat sinks, each of which at least partially comprises a porous material region made of a thermally conductive material with a randomized, 3-dimensional pore structure, said first heat sink affixed to said reflector and said second heat sink affixed to said circuit board.

11. The lamp of claim 10, wherein said reflector is made of a metal, heat from said light source transmitting through said reflector into said first heat sink.

13. The lamp of claim 10, wherein heat from said light source transmits into said second heat sink through said circuit board.

14. The lamp of claim 10, further comprising one or more heat conductive vias through said circuit board, said vias conducting heat from said emitter to said second heat sink.

15. The lamp of claim 14, further comprising a heat conductive layer between said second heat sink and said circuit board, said conductive layer in thermal contact with said vias and said second heat sink, and spreading heat from said vias across said heat sink.

16. The lamp of claim 10, wherein said porous material region of said first or second heat sinks is graded wherein part of said porous material region has a higher density pore structure than the remaining of said region.

17. The lamp of claim 10, wherein said porous material region further comprises a dark coating to increase radiation of heat into the ambient air.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein at least part of the non-porous region of said heat sink comprises a solid metal.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein at least part of the non-porous region of said heat sink comprises a thermal paste infused into a porous material.

20. The device of claim 10, wherein said light source comprises one from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, a plurality of light emitting diodes, a solid state laser, and a plurality of solid state lasers.

12. A lamp, comprising:

a solid state light source mounted to a circuit board;

a reflector mounted to said circuit board to reflect at least some of the light from said light source into directional light emission;

contacts for providing electrical power to said solid state light source;

first and second heat sinks, each of which at least partially comprises a porous material region made of a thermally conductive material in a 3-dimensional pore structure, said first heat sink affixed to said reflector and said second heat sink affixed to said circuit board, wherein said reflector is made of reflectively coated plastic, and further comprising a heat conductive path between said reflector and said first heat sink for heat to transmit from said light source into first heat sink through said heat conductive path.

21. An high power semiconductor component structure, comprising:

a semiconductor device arranged to operate in response to an electrical signal, said device heating up during operation in response to said electrical signal; and

a first heat sink positioned in thermal contact with said semiconductor device such that heat from said device transmits into said first heat sink, said first heat sink at least partially comprising a porous material region, said porous material region comprising a thermally conductive material with a randomized, 3-dimensional pore structure with the surfaces of said pore structure providing surface area for heat to dissipate into the ambient air.

22. The structure of claim 21, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a solid state light source, and further comprising a reflector positioned to reflect light from said light source into directional light emission, heat from said light source transmitting into said reflector, said first heat sink mounted to said reflector.

23. The structure of claim 21, further comprising a circuit board, said semiconductor device mounted to said circuit board, and said first heat sink mounted to said circuit board such that heat from said device transmits into said first heat sink.

24. The structure of claim 21, wherein said heat sink has a graded porous material region wherein part of said porous material region has a higher density pore structure than the remaining of said region.

25. The structure of claim 21, further comprising a circuit board and a reflector, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a solid state light source, said reflector and light source mounted to said circuit board such that said reflector reflects at least some of said light from said emitter into directional light emission.

26. The structure of claim 25, wherein said first heat sink is mounted to said circuit board such that heat from said light source transmits into said first heat sink.

27. The structure of claim 25, further comprising a second heat sink mounted to said circuit board such that the light source heat transmits into said second heat sink.

28. The structure of claim 21, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a solid state power device, and further comprising a second heat sink at least partially comprising a porous material region, said porous material region comprising a thermally conductive material in a 3-dimensional pore structure with the surfaces of said pore structure providing surface area for heat to dissipate into the ambient air, said power device sandwiched between said first and second heat sinks.

29. The structure of claim 28, further comprising a circuit board, said power device mounted to said circuit board, said circuit board and power device sandwiched between said first and second heat sinks.