LED module and methods for producing and using the module

• US 6,860,621 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Kirchberger, Günter, Bachl, Bernhard, Schellhorn, Franz, Weigert, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US10/345,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 362/373, 362/267, 362/294, 313/498, 313/512, 257 98-100, 257710-713
• US Class Current: 362/373
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/13 the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L33/00
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• 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: H01L 33/641 characterized by the materials

Abstract

An LED module includes a substrate having good thermal conductivity and one or more radiation-emitting semiconductor components that fixed on the top side of the substrate. The underside of the substrate is fixed on a carrier body having a high thermal capacity, in which the component fixing between the semiconductor components and the substrate and the substrate fixing between the substrate and the carrier body are embodied with good thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing the LED module, in which metal areas that are suitable as an etching mask improve the impressing of the current required during the anodic bonding, and at the same time, are used as contact areas for contact-connecting the radiation-emitting semiconductor components. The LED module has the advantage that the semiconductor components can be subjected to higher energization as a result of the high thermal capacity of the carrier body.

Claims

1. An LED module for illumination systems or signaling systems, the module comprising:

a thermally conductive substrate having a top side and an underside;

at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component fixed on said top side of said substrate;

a carrier body having a high thermal capacity, said underside of said substrate fixed on said carrier body, said carrier body being a metallic carrier;

a contact pin configured in said carrier body and electrically insulated from said carrier body;

a first component fixing located between said semiconductor component and said substrate; and

a second component fixing located between said substrate and said carrier body;

said first component fixing and second component fixing each having a good thermal conductivity such that heat produced during operation is dissipated via said carrier body.

2. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor component is selected from a group consisting of a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, a light-emitting diode chip, and a laser diode chip.

3. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor component is a vertically emitting semiconductor component.

4. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said carrier body has a TO design.

5. The LED module according to claim 1, comprising:

a contact area configured on said substrate, said contact area having a free-standing contact area section;

said underside of said semiconductor component having a first pad contact-connected to said contact area by said first component fixing.

6. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is made of silicon.

7. The LED module according to claim 6, comprising:

a glass body;

said substrate having a top side partly covered by said glass body;

said glass body fixed on said top side of said substrate;

said glass body formed with at least one depression uncovering said surface of said substrate; and

said semiconductor component configured in said depression of said glass body.

8. The LED module according to claim 7, comprising:

a plurality of radiation-emitting semiconductor components, said at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component being at least one of said plurality of said radiation-emitting semiconductor components;

said glass body being formed with a plurality of depressions, said at least one depression being at least one of said plurality of said depressions; and

each one of said plurality of said radiation-emitting semiconductor components being configured in a respective one of said plurality of said depressions.

9. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said glass body is formed by anisotropic, wet-chemical etching.

10. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said glass body is fixed on said substrate by anodic bonding.

11. The LED module according to claim 7, comprising:

a contact pin; and

a contact area configured on said substrate, said contact area having a free-standing contact area section;

said glass body having a top side formed with two mutually insulated conductor areas defining a first conductor area and a second conductor area;

said semiconductor component having a top side with a second pad;

said first conductor area being contact-connected to said second pad and to said contact pin; and

said second conductor area being contact-connected to said free-standing contact area section and to said carrier body.

12. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein:

said semiconductor component is a laterally emitting light-emitting diode or a laterally emitting laser diode;

said glass body has an inner area defined by said depression; and

said inner area is formed as a reflector for deflecting radiation emitted by said semiconductor component such that the radiation leaves the module perpendicularly to said substrate.

13. The LED module according to claim 7, comprising a metal layer covering said inner area of said depression.

14. The LED module according to claim 1, comprising an encapsulation potting said top side of said substrate and enclosing said semiconductor component.

15. The LED module according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting diodes connected in series with one another and fixed on said substrate, said at least one semiconductor component being at least one of said plurality of said light-emitting diodes;

said plurality of said light-emitting diodes being of a type and a number such that a total voltage dropped across said plurality of said light-emitting diodes during operation corresponds to an operating voltage of a motor vehicle on-board electrical system.

16. The LED module according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of radiation-emitting semiconductor components fixed on said top side of said substrate;

said at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component being at least one of said plurality of said radiation-emitting semiconductor components.

17. A method for producing an LED module, which comprises:

applying two mutually insulated metal areas, which are suitable as an etching mask, on a glass disk;

structuring the glass disk by anisotropic wet-chemical etching to produce a glass body;

fixing the glass body on a substrate made of silicon by anodic bonding, and using the metal areas to impress a current required for the anodic bonding; and

fixing at least one semiconductor component on the substrate and fixing the substrate on a carrier body.

18. The method according to claim 17, which comprises using each one of the metal areas as a conductor area for contact-connecting the semiconductor component to the carrier body or to a contact pin.

19. A method for producing an LED module, which comprises:

applying a plurality of masking areas on a glass disk such that a plurality of etching masks are present in a chessboard-like configuration on the glass disk, each one of the plurality of the etching masks corresponding to a glass body;

simultaneously structuring a plurality of glass bodies on the glass disk to produce a plurality of contiguous glass bodies;

planarly fixing the glass disk on a silicon wafer to produce a silicon-glass wafer;

fixing a plurality of semiconductor components in depressions of a glass body on a corresponding silicon wafer section;

cutting up the silicon-glass wafer perpendicular to a plane of the wafer along lines that separate the plurality of the glass bodies from one another; and

fixing the silicon wafer section having the plurality of the semiconductor components on a carrier body.

20. A method of using an LED module, which comprises:

providing an LED module including;

a thermally conductive substrate having a top side and an underside;

at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component fixed on the top side of the substrate;

a carrier body having a high thermal capacity, the underside of the substrate fixed on the carrier body, the carrier body being a metallic carrier;

a contact pin configured in the carrier body and electrically insulated from the carrier body;

a first component fixing located between the semiconductor component and the substrate; and

a second component fixing located between the substrate and the carrier body, the first component fixing and the second component fixing each having a good thermal conductivity such that heat produced during operation is dissipated via the carrier body; and

using the LED module to laterally couple light into an optical waveguide.

21. An LED module for illumination systems or signaling systems, the module comprising:

a thermally conductive silicon substrate having a top side with a surface and an underside;

a glass body partly covering said top side of said substrate and fixed on said top side of said substrate, said glass body being formed with at least one depression uncovering said surface of said substrate;

at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component fixed on said top side of said substrate, said semiconductor component being configured in said depression of said glass body;

a carrier body having a high thermal capacity, said underside of said substrate fixed on said carrier body;

a first component fixing located between said semiconductor component and said substrate; and

a second component fixing located between said substrate and said carrier body;

said first component fixing and second component fixing each having a good thermal conductivity for dissipating heat produced during operation via said carrier body.