Curing light

• US 6,926,524 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CAO Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CAO Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Cao, Densen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US10/073,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20020168608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 433/29, 433/215, 606/1, 606/13, 606/16, 607/88, 362/119, 362/800, 362/804
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0096 Portable laser equipment, e.g. hand-held laser apparatus surgical laser instruments A61B18/20, Dental Lasers A61C1/0046, Hand-held laser dental apparatus for curing resins A61C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0608 in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/064 by means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0643 comprising mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0648 comprising lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0665 by beam condensation on the workpiece, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/703 Cooling arrangements by using a fluid stream B23K26/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73257 Bump and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A curing light system useful for curing light activated composite materials is disclosed. Various configurations of light emitting semiconductor chips and heat sinks are disclosed, as well as various structures and methods for driving, controlling and using them.

Claims

1. A curing light comprising:

a wand adapted to be grasped by a human hand for applying light produced by the curing light to a light-activatable material,

a longitudinal axis of said wand,

a primary heat sink capable of dissipating heat created by a semiconductor light source,

a well in said heat sink, said well being sized to receive a semiconductor chip capable of producing light that is useful in curing light-curable materials,

a top opening of said well,

a bottom of said well,

a wall of said well, said wall of said well being capable of reflecting light,

a semiconductor chip capable of producing light that is useful in curing light-curable materials,

said semiconductor chip having a substrate,

said semiconductor chip having a plurality of epitaxial layers,

at least one of said epitaxial layers being an active layers,

at least some of said light produced by said chip being emitted from said well at an angular orientation θ

with respect to said wand longitudinal axis, said angle θ

being in the range of from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees.

2. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, GaN, InP, sapphire, SIC, GaSb, and InAs.

3. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein at least some of said epitaxial layers are selected from the group consisting of contact layers, cladding layers, active layers, and buffer layers.

4. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said epitaxial layers includes a material from the group consisting of GaN, AIGaN, and InGaN.

5. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein said well has a reflective wall that includes a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Au, Ag, Zn, Cu, Pt, chrome, metal, plating and plastic, said well wall being capable of reflecting light of a wavelength produced by said chip.

6. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein said semiconductor chip is selected from the group consisting of light emitting diode chips, laser chips, light emitting diode chip array, diode laser chips, diode laser chip array, surface emitting laser chips, edge emitting laser chips, and VCSEL chips.

7. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein said chip is held in place in said well by use of an adhesive selected from the group consisting of heat conductive adhesive and light reflective adhesive.

8. A curing light as recited in claim 1 further comprising a secondary heat sink, said secondary heat sink being affixed to said heat sink, and said secondary heat sink being capable of assisting in dissipation of heat produced by said chip.

9. A curing light as recited in claim 8 further comprising a switch on said wand for initiating emission of light from said semiconductor chip.

10. A curing light as recited in claim 8 wherein said secondary heat sink is elongate in shape.

11. A curing light as recited in claim 1 further comprising a cover that provides protective covering for said semiconductor chip and which permits light emitted by said semiconductor chip to substantially pass through it.

12. A curing light as recited in claim 11 wherein said cover is selected from the group consisting of windows and focus lenses.

13. A curing light comprising:

a handpiece,

a longitudinal axis of said handpiece,

a primary heat sink capable of dissipating heat created by a semiconductor light source,

a well in said heat sink, said well being sized to receive a semiconductor chip capable of producing light that is useful in curing light-curable materials,

a top opening of said well,

a bottom of said well,

a wall of said well, said wall of said well being capable of reflecting light,

a semiconductor chip capable of producing light that is useful in curing light-curable materials,

said semiconductor chip having a substrate,

said substrate being selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, GaN, InP, sapphire, SIC, GaSb, and InAs,

said semiconductor chip having a plurality of epitaxial layers,

a contact layer as one of said epitaxial layers, said contact layer serving to establish an electrical contact for said chip,

a cladding layer as one of said epitaxial layers,

an active layer as one of said epitaxial layers, said active layer serving to allow electrons jump from a conduction band to valance and emit energy which converts to light, and

a buffer layer as one of said epitaxial layers,

at least some of said light produced by said chip being emitted from said well at an angular orientation θ

with respect to said handpiece longitudinal axis, said angle θ

being in the range of from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees.

14. A curing light as recited in claim 13 wherein at least one of said epitaxial layers includes a material from the group consisting of GaN, AIGaN, and InGaN.

15. A curing light as recited in claim 13 wherein said well has a reflective wall that includes a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Au, Ag, Zn, Cu, Pt, chrome, metal, plating and plastic, said well wall being capable of reflecting light of a wavelength produced by said chip.

16. A curing light as recited in claim 13 wherein said chip is held in place in said well by use of an adhesive selected from the group consisting of heat conductive adhesive and light reflective adhesive.

17. A curing light as recited in claim 13 further comprising a secondary heat sink, said secondary heat sink being affixed to said heat sink, and said secondary heat sink being capable of assisting in dissipation of heat produced by said chip.

18. A curing light comprising:

a housing for containing components of the curing light,

a longitudinal axis of said housing,

a primary heat sink capable of dissipating heat created by a semiconductor light source,

a semiconductor chip capable of producing light that is useful in curing light-curable materials,

said semiconductor chip being affixed to said primary heat sink by use of an adhesive,

said semiconductor chip having a substrate,

said substrate being selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, GaN, InP, sapphire, SiC, GaSb, and InAs,

said semiconductor chip having a plurality of epitaxial layers,

a contact layer as one of said epitaxial layers, said contact layer serving to establish an electrical contact for said chip,

a cladding layer as one of said epitaxial layers,

an active layer as one of said epitaxial layers, said active layer serving to allow electrons jump from a conduction band to valance and emit energy which converts to light, and

a buffer layer as one of said epitaxial layers;

wherein at least one of said epitaxial layers includes a material from the group consisting of GaN, AIGaN, and InGaN; and

wherein at least some light directly emitted by said semiconductor chip is emitted forward from the semiconductor chip at an angular orientation θ

with respect to said longitudinal axis, said angle θ

being in the range of from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees.

19. A curing light as recited in claim 18 further comprising a secondary heat sink, said secondary heat sink being affixed to said heat sink, and said secondary heat sink being capable of assisting in dissipation of heat produced by said chip.