Direct cooling of LEDs

• US 7,285,445 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Duwayne R., Owen, Mark D., Vlach, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Parekh; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/423,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20060216865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 438/48, 438/64, 438/116, 438/24, 438/25, 438/26, 438/30, 438/51, 257/433, 257/714, 257/443, 257/680, 257/434
• US Class Current: 438/116
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/59 with forced flow of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/648 the elements comprising fluids, e.g. heat-pipes

Abstract

A thermal management system is provided for semiconductor devices such as an LED array, wherein coolant directly cools the LED array. Preferably, the coolant may be selected, among other bases, based on its index of refraction relative to the index associated with the semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A method of directly cooling a semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on a substrate in a housing, comprising:

applying a liquid coolant to directly cool light emissive surfaces of the LEDs,

the liquid flowing in a channel between the LEDs and a window, through which light from the emissive surfaces is transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a first coolant to directly cool the LEDs and applying a second coolant to the substrate to indirectly cool the LEDs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a heat pipe is used to contain the second coolant.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first coolant comprises a fluid having an index of refraction matching at material at an optical interface, and the second coolant comprises a high heat capacity fluid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second coolant is water.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the light to transform a target material.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the transformation is a curing operation on a photo-curable material.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the light emitted from the LEDs and effecting the material transformation comprises a UV wavelength.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the light emitting diodes output IR light.