Solid State Light Emitting Apparatus with Thermal Management Structures and Methods of Manufacturing

• US 20110121333A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Led Incorporated (Smart Global Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrews, Peter S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,410,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/98
• 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 33/642 characterized by the shape

Abstract

Provided are apparatus and methods corresponding to a solid state light emitting element. Such methods include mounting, to a thermally conductive component, a solid state light emitting element that includes first and second electrical connection points that are configured to be conductively engaged on a first side of a circuit structure. The solid state light emitting element is electrically insulated from the thermally conductive component to provide that electrical connections are arranged on the first side of the circuit structure and heat is conducted to a second side of the circuit structure that is opposite the first side of the circuit structure.

Claims

1. A method of packaging a solid state light emitting element, the method comprising:

mounting, to a thermally conductive component, a solid state light emitting element that includes first and second electrical connection points that are configured to be conductively engaged on a first side of a circuit structure; and

electrically insulating the solid state light emitting element from the thermally conductive component to provide that electrical connections are arranged on the first side of the circuit structure and heat is conducted to a second side of the circuit structure that is opposite the first side of the circuit structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing surface mount technology (SMT) contacts corresponding to the first and second electrical connection points that are configured to conductively engage mating contacts of the first side of the circuit structure.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising engaging a distal end of the thermally conductive component with a heat dissipating component that is positioned on the second side of the circuit structure.

4. A light emitting apparatus, comprising:

a solid state light emitting element including first and second electrically conducting emitter connection portions across which a voltage may be applied to activate the solid state light emitting element and that are configured to be electrically coupled to electrical termination surfaces on a first side of a circuit structure;

a thermally conductive post that is configured to conduct heat generated by the solid state light emitting element from a proximal end that is proximate the solid state light emitting element on the first side of the circuit structure to a distal end that is on a second side of the circuit structure that is opposite the first side of the circuit structure; and

an electrically insulating layer between the proximate end of the thermally conductive post and the solid state light emitting element.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the thermally conductive post is configured to extend through the circuit structure and to be received by a heat dissipating component.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the thermally conductive post is configured to engage the heat dissipating component via solder, an adhesive compound, a thermal grease, friction and/or a mechanical compression fastening technique.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the thermally conductive post comprises:

a head portion corresponding to the proximal end and that includes a first diameter; and

a shaft portion that includes the distal end and that includes a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the distal end of the thermally conductive post comprises a tapered portion that is configured to form a pointed end.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

an electrically insulating submount that is configured to engage the proximal end of the thermally conductive post; and

a plurality of electrically conducting components on the electrically insulating submount that are configured to conductively couple the first and second electrically conducting emitter connection portions with respective conductive portions on the first side of the circuit structure.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the electrically insulating submount comprises a ceramic material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the solid state light emitting element comprises a reflective portion including at least one reflective surface that is operable to reflect light emitted from the solid state light emitting element.

12. A method of assembling a light emitting apparatus comprising:

mounting a solid state light emitting element on a proximal end of a thermally conductive post that is configured to be adjacent a first side of an electrically insulating submount that includes a hole that is configured to receive the thermally conductive post; and

electrically connecting first and second electrical contacts of the solid state light emitting element to first and second terminals on the first side of the electrically insulating submount that includes a second side that is opposite the first side and through which the thermally conductive post protrudes to transfer heat from the first side of the electrically insulating submount to the second side of the electrically insulating submount.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising electrically insulating the solid state light emitting element from the thermally conductive post by forming a dielectric layer on a top surface of the thermally conductive post.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein first and second terminals are configured to be conductively coupled on a first side of a circuit structure,

wherein the proximal end of the thermally conductive post is on the first side of the circuit structure, and

wherein a distal end of the thermally conductive post that is opposite the proximal end of the thermally conductive post is configured to be on a second side of the circuit structure that is opposite the first side of the circuit structure to transfer heat from therefrom.

15. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the electrically insulating submount is configured to be mounted on a circuit structure that includes a first side that includes conductive portions that are configured to conductively engage the first and second terminals, and

wherein a distal end of the thermally conductive post that is opposite the proximal end is configured to extend through the circuit structure to transfer thermal energy that is generated by the solid state light emitting element to a second side of the circuit structure that is opposite the first side of the circuit structure.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the distal end of the thermally conductive post is further configured to be attached to a thermal dissipation component on the second side of the circuit structure and that is configured to dissipate the thermal energy received from the thermally conductive post.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising providing a reflective component that is proximate the solid state light emitting element and including at least one reflective surface that is operable to reflect light emitted from the solid state light emitting element.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein electrically insulating submount includes ceramic material.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the electrically insulating submount includes surface mount technology (SMT) contacts corresponding to the first and second electrical connection points that are configured to conductively engage mating contacts of a first side of a circuit structure.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermally conductive post includes a distal end that is opposite the proximal end and that includes a tapered portion that is configured to form a pointed end.

21. A method of assembling a light emitting apparatus comprising:

cutting a metallic wire to a length that corresponds to a cross-sectional dimension of each of a circuit structure, a substrate and/or a thermal dissipation material;

loading electrically insulating material into a manufacturing fixture for attaching a solid state light emitting element to the metallic wire;

attaching a proximal end of the metallic wire to the solid state light emitting element to generate an emitter assembly;

mounting the emitter assembly into an insulating substrate, the proximal end of the wire corresponding to a first side of the insulating substrate and a distal end that is opposite the proximal end corresponding to a second side of the insulating substrate that is opposite the first side of the insulating substrate;

forming electrical interconnections from the solid state light emitting element to electrical terminals on the first side of the insulating substrate; and

forming an encapsulating portion over a portion of the emitter assembly that corresponds to the first side of the insulating substrate.