ELECTRICALLY PARALLEL FUSED LEDS

• US 20180007750A1
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Display Company Technology Limited (Sensinnovat BVBA)
• Original Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Inventors: Meitl, Matthew, Cok, Ronald S., Bower, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,917,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/045 Protection against panel overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/24 Optical enhancement of defects or not directly visible states, e.g. selective electrolytic deposition, bubbles in liquids, light emission, colour change voltage contrast G01R31/311
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/52 Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another , i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames optical interconnections G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0288 using passive elements as protective elements, e.g. resistors, capacitors, inductors, spark-gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/153 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/52 in a parallel array of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs

Abstract

An LED component comprises a plurality of fused light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (e.g., micro-transfer printable or micro-transfer printed LEDs). Each fused LED comprises an LED with first and second LED electrical connections for providing power to the LED and a fuse with first and second fuse electrical connections. The first LED electrical connection is electrically connected to the first electrode. The first fuse electrical connection is electrically connected to the second LED electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connection is electrically connected to the second electrode. A fused LED source wafer comprises an LED wafer having a patterned sacrificial layer forming an array of sacrificial portions separated by anchors and a plurality of fused LED components, each fused LED component disposed entirely on or over a corresponding sacrificial portion. A light-emission system comprises a system substrate and a plurality of fused LED components disposed on or over the system substrate.

Claims

1. A fused light-emitting diode (LED) component, comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode; and

a plurality of fused LEDs, each fused LED comprising;

an LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light, wherein the first LED electrical connection is electrically connected to the first electrode, and

a fuse comprising a first fuse electrical connection and a second fuse electrical connection, the first fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second LED electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second electrode,

wherein the plurality of fused LEDs are electrically connected in parallel.

2. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein the LEDs all emit substantially the same color of light.

3. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein a combination of the LEDs together emit light that is perceived by a human visual system as white light.

4. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein each LED of the plurality of fused LEDs is a first LED and one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs each comprises a second LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the second LED to cause the second LED to emit light,

wherein, for each of the one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs, the first LED electrical connection of the first LED is electrically connected in common with the first electrical connection of the second LED and the second LED electrical connection of the first LED is electrically connected in common with the second LED electrical connection of the second LED so that the first and second LEDs are electrically connected in parallel.

5. The fused LED component of claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more of the fused LEDs comprises a third LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the third LED to cause the third LED to emit light,

wherein, for each of the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs, the first LED electrical connection of the first LED is electrically connected in common with the first electrical connection of the third LED and the second LED electrical connection of the first LED is electrically connected in common with the second LED electrical connection of the third LED so that the first, second, and third LEDs are electrically connected in parallel.

6. The fused LED component of claim 4, wherein one or more of the fused LEDs emits light perceived to be white by the human visual system.

7. The fused LED component of claim 1, comprising one or more component substrates on which one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs and at least a portion of the first electrode and at least a portion of the second electrode are disposed.

8. The fused LED component of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more component substrates comprises a first connection post and a second connection post and at least one of (i) the first connection post is electrically connected to the first electrode and (ii) the second connection post is electrically connected to the second electrode.

9. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein each of the LEDs of the plurality of fused LEDs is a first LED and one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs comprises a second LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the second LED to cause the second LED to emit light,

wherein, for each of the one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs, the second LED electrical connection of the first LED is electrically connected to the first LED electrical connection of the second LED so that the first and second LEDs are electrically connected in serial.

10. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fuses is not electrically conductive.

11. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fused LEDs comprises five or more fused LEDs, ten or more fused LEDs, twenty or more fused LEDs, fifty or more fused LEDs, or one hundred or more fused LEDs.

12. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein each fuse is a first fuse, each LED is a first LED, and one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs comprises (i) a replacement fuse comprising a first replacement fuse electrical connection and a second replacement fuse electrical connection and (ii) a replacement LED comprising a first replacement LED electrical connection and a second replacement LED electrical connection,

wherein, for each of the one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs, the second replacement fuse electrical connection of the replacement fuse is electrically connected to the second fuse electrical connection of the first fuse, the first replacement fuse electrical connection of the replacement fuse is electrically connected to the second replacement LED electrical connection of the replacement LED, and the first replacement LED connection of the replacement LED is electrically connected to the first LED connection of the first LED.

13. The fused LED component of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of fused LEDs comprises an electrical jumper that electrically connects the first fuse electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connections.

14. The fused LED component of claim 1, comprising a component substrate on which the plurality of fused LEDs and at least a portion of the first and second electrodes are disposed.

15. A method of making a fused LED component, comprising:

providing a fused LED component (e.g., a fused micro-transfer printable component), wherein the fused LED component comprises;

a first electrode and a second electrode; and

a plurality of fused LEDs, each fused LED comprising;

an LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light, wherein the first LED electrical connection electrically connected to the first electrode, and

a fuse comprising a first fuse electrical connection and a second fuse electrical connection, the first fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second LED electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second electrode,

wherein the plurality of fused LEDs are electrically connected in parallel,

wherein at least one of the LEDs in the fused LED component is a defective LED that is electrically shorted; and

applying electrical power to the first and second electrodes so that each fuse associated with the at least one of the LEDs that is a defective LED is rendered non-conductive.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

providing (i) a replacement LED comprising a first replacement LED electrical connection and a second replacement LED electrical connection and (ii) a replacement fuse comprising a first replacement fuse electrical connection and a second replacement fuse electrical connection; and

electrically connecting the first replacement LED electrical connection of the replacement LED to the first LED electrical connection of a defective LED and the second replacement LED electrical connection of the replacement LED to the first replacement fuse electrical connection of the replacement fuse.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

providing a replacement fused LED comprising;

a replacement LED comprising a first replacement LED electrical connection and a second replacement LED electrical connection, and

a replacement fuse comprising a first replacement fuse electrical connection and a second replacement fuse electrical connection; and

electrically connecting the first replacement LED electrical connection of the replacement fused LED to the first LED electrical connection of a defective LED and the second replacement fuse electrical connection of the replacement fused LED to the second fuse electrical connection of a fuse corresponding to the defective LED.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising:

providing an electrical jumper for each non-defective LED in the fused LED component; and

disposing each electrical jumper in electrical contact with the second electrode and the second electrical connection of each fused LED in the fused LED component.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising:

providing a light emission standard;

testing the light output of each LED;

comparing the light output to the light-emission standard;

determining if each LED in the LED component meets the standard; and

for each LED that does not meet the standard, rendering non-conductive at least one of (i) the first and second LED electrical connection of the LED and (ii) the first and second fuse electrical connection of the fuse corresponding to the LED.

20. A light-emission system comprising fused light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the system comprising:

a system substrate; and

a plurality of fused LED components disposed on the system substrate, wherein each fused LED component comprises;

a first electrode and a second electrode; and

a plurality of fused LEDs, each fused LED comprising;

an LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light, wherein the first LED electrical connection electrically connected to the first electrode, and

a fuse comprising a first fuse electrical connection and a second fuse electrical connection, the first fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second LED electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second electrode,

wherein the plurality of fused LEDs are electrically connected in parallel.

21. The light-emission system of claim 20, comprising a plurality of component substrates, wherein the plurality of fused LEDs and at least a portion of the first and second electrodes of at least a portion of the plurality of fused LED components are disposed on the plurality of component substrates and the component substrates are disposed on the system substrate.

22. The light-emission system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the fuses is not electrically conductive.

23. The light-emission system of claim 20, wherein at least one fused LED component of the plurality of fused LED components comprises a replacement fused LED component.

24. The light-emission system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of fused LEDs of a first LED component of the plurality of fused LED components emit light of a first color and the plurality of fused LEDs of a second LED component emit light of a second color that is different from the first color.

25. The light-emission system of claim 24, wherein a third fused LED component of the plurality of fused LED components emits light of a third color that is different from the first color and different from the second color.

26. The light-emission system of claim 23, wherein, for each of the at least one fused LED component, the first electrode of the fused LED component is electrically connected in common with the first electrode of the replacement fused LED component.

27. A fused LED source wafer, comprising:

a component wafer comprising a patterned sacrificial layer forming an array of sacrificial portions separated by anchors;

a plurality of micro-transfer printable fused LEDs, wherein each of the plurality of micro-transfer printable fused LEDs comprises;

an LED comprising a first LED electrical connection and a second LED electrical connection for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light, wherein the first LED electrical connection electrically connected to the first electrode, and

a fuse comprising a first fuse electrical connection and a second fuse electrical connection, the first fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second LED electrical connection and the second fuse electrical connection electrically connected to the second electrode,

wherein each fused LED is disposed entirely on or over a corresponding sacrificial portion.

28. The fused LED source wafer of claim 27, wherein each fused LED comprises a component substrate on which the fuse and the LED are disposed.