Mold tool for an optoelectronic element
First Claim
1. A mold tool for an optoelectronic device comprising:
- a first mold piece having a surface that defines a first cavity and an aperture within said first cavity;
a second mold piece having a surface which defines a second cavity, said first cavity cooperating with said second cavity to form a molding compound into a predetermined shape; and
an ejector pin having a contoured tip, said pin movably located within said aperture between a first position retracted within said aperture so that said tip constitutes an integral portion of said first cavity and a second position extended from said aperture so that said ejector pin facilitates removal of said compound from said first cavity, wherein said predetermined shape is at least partially defined by said contoured tip, wherein said tip is contoured to create a lens in said surface and said tip has a taper on an outer diameter corresponding to a sidewall disposed around said lens.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optoelectronic component has a lens that is formed in the surface of an encapsulant surrounding a semiconductor diode element. With respect to emitters, the lens reduces internal reflection and reduces dispersion to increase overall efficiency. With respect to detectors, the lens focuses photons on the active area of the detector, increasing detector sensitivity, which allows a detector having a reduced size and reduced cost for a given application. The lens portion of the encapsulant is generally non-protruding from the surrounding portions of the encapsulant reducing contact surface pressure caused by the optoelectronic component. This non-protruding lens is particularly useful in pulse oximetry sensor applications. The lens is advantageously formed with a contoured-tip ejector pin incorporated into the encapsulant transfer mold, and the lens shape facilitates mold release.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A mold tool for an optoelectronic device comprising:
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a first mold piece having a surface that defines a first cavity and an aperture within said first cavity;
a second mold piece having a surface which defines a second cavity, said first cavity cooperating with said second cavity to form a molding compound into a predetermined shape; and
an ejector pin having a contoured tip, said pin movably located within said aperture between a first position retracted within said aperture so that said tip constitutes an integral portion of said first cavity and a second position extended from said aperture so that said ejector pin facilitates removal of said compound from said first cavity, wherein said predetermined shape is at least partially defined by said contoured tip, wherein said tip is contoured to create a lens in said surface and said tip has a taper on an outer diameter corresponding to a sidewall disposed around said lens. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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2. A method of forming an optoelectronic device having a lens portion and a sidewall disposed around said lens portion, the method comprising:
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placing at least one optoelectronic element in a mold having an open configuration and a closed configuration, the mold having a pin with a contoured surface, the contoured surface comprising a portion corresponding to the lens portion, the contoured surface further comprising a taper on an outer diameter of the pin, the taper corresponding to the sidewall;
encapsulating the optoelectronic element within a molding compound by injecting the molding compound into the mold;
compressing the molding compound with the contoured surface of the pin while the mold is in the closed configuration, thereby forming the lens portion and the sidewall of the optoelectronic element; and
pressing the contoured surface of the pin against the optoelectronic device while the mold is in the open configuration, thereby separating the optoelectronic device from the mold to facilitate removal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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10. A mold tool for forming an optoelectronic device, the mold tool comprising:
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a first mold piece having a surface that defines a first cavity and an aperture within the first cavity;
a second mold piece having a surface which defines a second cavity, the first cavity cooperating with the second cavity to form a molding compound into a predetermined shape comprising a sidewall; and
an ejector pin having an outer diameter and a contoured tip, the ejector pin movably located within the aperture between a first position retracted within the aperture so that the ejector tip constitutes an integral portion of the first cavity and a second position extended from the aperture so that the ejector pin facilitates removal of the molding compound from the first cavity, wherein the contoured tip comprises a taper on the outer diameter of the ejector pin and the sidewall is at least partially defined by the taper.
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11. A mold tool for an optoelectronic device comprising:
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a first mold piece having a surface that defines a first cavity and an aperture within said first cavity;
a second mold piece having a surface which defines a second cavity, said first cavity cooperating with said second cavity to form a molding compound into a predetermined shape comprising a lens portion and a trough disposed around the lens portion, the trough comprising a sidewall; and
an ejector pin having a contoured tip, said pin movably located within said aperture between a first position retracted within said aperture so that said tip constitutes an integral portion of said first cavity and a second position extended from said aperture so that said ejector pin facilitates removal of said compound from said first cavity, wherein said predetermined shape is at least partially defined by said contoured tip, the contoured tip comprising a surface corresponding to the lens surface and a taper on an outer diameter of the tip corresponding to the sidewall.
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Specification