SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING DEVICES INCLUDING MULTIPLE SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENTS IN A SUBSTRATE CAVITY

• US 20090250710A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Led Incorporated (Smart Global Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Negley, Gerald H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/89
• 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 33/486 adapted for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls

Abstract

Semiconductor light emitting devices include a substrate having a cavity, multiple light emitting devices in the cavity and remote phosphor layers, scattering layers and/or lenses for the light emitting devices.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate having a face;

a cavity on said face;

first and second semiconductor light emitting elements in the cavity;

a first phosphor layer that is spaced apart from the first semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the first semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the first phosphor layer; and

a second phosphor layer that is spaced apart from the second semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the second semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the second phosphor layer;

wherein the first semiconductor light emitting element and the first phosphor layer are configured to emit light of a first color and the second semiconductor light emitting element and the second phosphor layer are configured to emit light of a second color that is different from the first color.

2. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second phosphor layers are in and/or on the cover.

3. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a third semiconductor light emitting element in the cavity; and

a third phosphor layer that is spaced apart from the third semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the third semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the third phosphor layer;

wherein the first semiconductor light emitting element and the first phosphor layer are configured to emit red light, the second semiconductor light emitting element and the second phosphor layer are configured to emit blue light and the third semiconductor light emitting element and the third phosphor layer are configured to emit green light.

4. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 3 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first, second and third phosphor layers are in and/or on the cover.

5. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2 further comprising:

a first lens adjacent the first phosphor layer; and

a second lens adjacent the second phosphor layer.

6. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2 further comprising:

a first optical scattering element adjacent the first phosphor layer; and

a second optical scattering element adjacent the second phosphor layer.

7. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second phosphor layers and the first and second optical scattering elements are in, on and/or comprise the cover.

8. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises solid metal.

9. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises aluminum.

10. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate having a face;

a cavity on said face;

first and second semiconductor light emitting elements in the cavity;

a first optical scattering element that is spaced apart from the first semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the first semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the first optical scattering element; and

a second optical scattering element that is spaced apart from the second semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the second semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the second optical scattering element.

11. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 10 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second optical scattering elements are in, on and/or comprise the cover.

12. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 10 wherein the first semiconductor light emitting element is configured to emit light of a first color and the second semiconductor light emitting element is configured to emit light of a second color that is different from the first color.

13. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 10 further comprising:

a first lens adjacent the first optical scattering element; and

a second lens adjacent the second optical scattering element.

14. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 13 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second lenses and the first and second optical scattering elements are in and/or on the cover.

15. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 10 wherein the substrate comprises solid metal.

16. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 10 wherein the substrate comprises aluminum.

17. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate having a face;

a cavity on said face;

first and second semiconductor light emitting elements in the cavity, wherein the first semiconductor light emitting element is configured to emit light of a first color and the second semiconductor light emitting element is configured to emit light of a second color that is different from the first color; and

first and second optical elements outside the cavity that are responsive to light that is emitted by the first and second semiconductor light emitting elements, respectively.

18. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 17:

wherein the first optical element comprises a first phosphor layer that is spaced apart from the first semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the first semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the first phosphor layer; and

wherein the second optical element comprises a second phosphor layer that is spaced apart from the second semiconductor light emitting element and is arranged such that light that is emitted by the second semiconductor light emitting element impinges on the second phosphor layer.

19. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second phosphor layers are in, on and/or comprise the cover.

20. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18 further comprising:

a first lens adjacent the first phosphor layer; and

a second lens adjacent the second phosphor layer.

21. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18 further comprising:

a first optical scattering element adjacent the first phosphor layer; and

a second optical scattering element adjacent the second phosphor layer.

22. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 21 further comprising a cover that overlies the cavity and wherein the first and second phosphor layers and the first and second optical scattering elements are in and/or on the cover.

23. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 17 wherein the substrate comprises solid metal.

24. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 17 wherein the substrate comprises aluminum.