LED-luminous panel and carrier plate

• US 7,055,987 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucea AG
• Original Assignee: Lucea AG
• Inventors: Staufert, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F
• Application Number:
  US10/489,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 362/252, 362/545, 362/646, 362/800, 362/294, 361/624, 361/637, 361/648, 257/88, 313/500
• US Class Current: 362/235
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• 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 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0091 Scattering means in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package H01L33/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The tailorable light-emitting panel contains smallest sub-units connected in parallel with, in each case, at least two light-emitting bodies connected in series and operable by way of electricity, for example light-emitting diodes (24). The light-emitting panel may later be severed into part pieces capable of functioning per se, with at least the size of a smallest sub-unit. The panel includes an electrically conducting base layer (21) and a cover layer (29) electrically insulated from the base layer. The, base layer (21) and the cover layer (29) function as connection surfaces for the electrical parallel contacting of the sub-units. Conductor paths (23) electrically insulated from the electrical connection surfaces serve for the electrical connection of the various light-emitting bodies (24) of the sub-units.

Claims

1. A light-emitting panel with a carrier plate which comprises:

a base layer (1, 21, 41) with an electrically conductive surface,

an electrically insulating layer deposited on said base layer, said electrically insulating layer defining a regular array of first openings,

conductor paths arranged in a regular grid-like manner and electrically insulated from the base layer,

wherein the first openings are arranged at crossing points of the grid of conductor paths and the conductor paths are interrupted at said crossing points, and

an electrically conducting layer (29, 49, 79, 89) electrically insulated from the base layer and from the conductor paths, said electrically conducting layer having a regular array of second openings that encompass the first openings, said second openings being larger than said first openings,

with smallest sub-units connected in parallel, each of said smallest sub-units comprising at least two light-emitting bodies (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4k, 4l, 4m, 4n, 4o, 4p, 24, 44, 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d, 84a, 84b) that are connected in series and adapted to, be operated by electricity and attached on the carrier plate, wherein the light-emitting bodies of the sub-units are electrically connected in series by the conductor paths,

wherein the base layer and the electrically conducting layer function as connection surfaces for the electrical parallel contacting of the sub-units, and

wherein the light-emitting panel, by severing the base layer, may be divided up into part pieces capable of functioning per se with at least the size of the smallest sub-unit.

2. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the light-emitting bodies (4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4k, 4l, 4m, 4n, 4o, 4p, 74b, 74c, 74d, 84b) lie directly on one of the conductor paths and are contacted by said one conductor path.

3. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein each light-emitting body comprises a first and a second electrode, said first electrodes of each first light-emitting body (4a, 4d, 4k, 4n, 74a, 84a) in each sub-unit are contacted by the base layer (1, 21, 41, 71, 81), the second electrode of each last light-emitting body (4c, 4i, 4m, 4p) of each sub-unit is connected by a contact means (5, 25, 45) to the electrically conducting layer (29, 49, 79, 89), and wherein electrodes of the light-emitting bodies lying between each first light-emitting body and each last light-emitting body are connected to one another via conductor paths.

4. The light-emitting panel according to claim 3, wherein first light-emitting bodies (4a, 4d, 4k, 4n, 74a, 84a) of the sub-units, in openings (7, 27, 47, 77) in the insulating layer, are attached on the base layer (1, 21,41,71,91) and are contacted by said base layer via first electrodes, and wherein further light-emitting bodies (4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4l, 4m, 4o, 4p) of the sub-units are attached on one of the conductor paths (3, 23, 43) and are contacted by said one conductor path via first electrodes, wherein second electrodes of the last light-emitting bodies (4c, 4i, 4m, 4p) of the sub-units are contacted by the electrically conducting layer (29, 49), and wherein second electrodes of remaining light-emitting bodies of the sub-units are contacted with the conductor path of the respective next light-emitting body of the sub-unit.

5. The light-emitting panel according to claim 4, wherein the light-emitting bodies, despite a predefined distance of the openings (7, 27, 47) in the insulating layer and a limited predefined length of the conductor path (3, 23, 43) for the series electrical connection of the light-emitting bodies of a sub-unit, are arranged at non-uniform distances in that the light-emitting bodies of at least one sub-unit are not attached at each opening (7,27,47) in the insulating layer, but rather at regularly spaced intervals, and thereby leave openings between light-emitting bodies, and wherein electrical interruptions that are present due to openings lacking light-emitting bodies between the conductor paths (3, 23, 43) for the series electrical connection lying therebetween, are bridged by a conductor path contact means (8).

6. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein mutual electrical insulation of the base layer, the conductor paths and the electrically conducting layer is provided by an electrically insulating layer (2, 22, 42, 72, 82) and wherein the conductor paths (3, 23, 43, 73, 93) run at least partly inside of the electrically insulating layer or inside openings in the electrically insulating layer.

7. The light-emitting panel according to claim 6, wherein the electrically insulating layer is formed by two electrically insulating films, and the conductor paths (3, 23, 43) are located between the first and the second electrically insulating film.

8. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, further comprising additional electrical components (9, 10) that are connected in parallel or series to individual or to a group of light-emitting bodies (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4k, 4l, 4m, 4n, 4o, 4p, 24, 44) of a complete sub-unit connected electrically in series.

9. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1. wherein the base layer (1,21,41) comprises structures for heat removal, or is deposited on a mechanical carrier with structures for heat removal.

10. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting bodies are LEDs, and at least some of the LEDs are selected from the group consisting of blue light, violet light, and ultraviolet light LEDs.

11. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, further comprising at least one addition layer (30, 32, 50, 51, 93, 94) that is at least partly transparent and arranged such that the light-emitting bodies are located between the base layer and the addition layer, or are cast into the addition layer.

12. The light-emitting panel according to claim 11, wherein the at least one addition layer is transparent and is provided with light directing means, said means being selected from the group consisting of reflecting particles, optical elements, and structures (53, 63, 64, 93b) for directing and/or distributing light.

13. The light-emitting panel according to claim 11, wherein the least one addition layer (31,50,60,94) is provided with a secondary emitting dye.

14. The light-emitting panel according to claim 13, wherein the addition layer with secondary emitting dye is essentially flat and covers a plurality of light-emitting bodies.

15. The light-emitting panel according to claim 13, wherein the at least one addition layer (93) is attached as a covering layer onto a carrier plate carrying the light-emitting bodies and is mechanically decoupled from the light-emitting bodies, and wherein spacer means (92b) are present between the carrier plate and the covering layer (93).

16. The light-emitting panel according to claim 15, wherein a secondary emitting film (94) is deposited on a side of the covering layer (93) that faces the light-emitting bodies or between at least two part layers forming the covering layer.

17. The light-emitting panel according to claim 15, wherein the covering layer in regions above the light-emitting bodies comprises optical elements (93b), said optical elements being selected from the group consisting of, Fresnel lenses and structures with surfaces that reflect such that a directing effect arises.

18. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a regular array of recesses (91a) in which at least some of said light-emitting bodies are attached.

19. The light-emitting panel according to claim 18, wherein the recesses are provided with a coating functioning as a reflector layer and wherein the recesses have a shape selected from the group consisting of ball shell or paraboloid, with a flat zone.

20. The light-emitting panel according to claim 1, wherein said panel is free of organic materials.

21. A carrier plate, for use as a component of a light-emitting panel, comprising a base layer (1, 21, 41) with an electrically conductive surface, an electrically insulating layer deposited on said base layer and having a regular array of first openings formed therein, and conductor paths arranged in a regular grid-like manner on said insulating layer and electrically insulated from the base layer, wherein the first openings are arranged at crossing points of the conductor path grid and the conductor paths are interrupted at said crossing points, wherein an electrically conducting layer, which is electrically insulated from the base layer and the conductor paths, defines a regular array of second openings that encompass the first openings, said second openings having a size that is larger than a size of said first openings.