AC driven light—emitting device

• US 7,615,793 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ao, Jin-Ping, Ono, Yasuo, Sakai, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Monbleau; Davienne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dilinh P
• Application Number:
  US12/352,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20090108274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 257 12- 13, 257/79, 257 82- 85, 257 88- 90, 257 92- 97, 257/103, 257/164, 257/E51.022, 257/E21.381, 315/185.S, 315/200.A, 315/247, 315312-320, 315/322, 315/326
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/153 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• 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

Abstract

A light-emitting device operating on a high drive voltage and a small drive current. LEDs (1) are two-dimensionally formed on an insulating substrate (10) of e.g., sapphire monolithically and connected in series to form an LED array. Two such LED arrays are connected to electrodes (32) in inverse parallel. Air-bridge wiring (28) is formed between the LEDs (1) and between the LEDs (1) and electrodes (32). The LED arrays are arranged zigzag to form a plurality of LEDs (1) to produce a high drive voltage and a small drive current. Two LED arrays are connected in inverse parallel, and therefore an AC power supply can be used as the power supply.

Claims

1. A light emitting device driven by an alternating current, comprising:

a single insulating substrate;

a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the single insulating substrate;

an array of GaN-based light emitting elements connected between the first electrode and the second electrode and disposed on the single insulating substrate, all light emitting elements of the array to emit light in response to a voltage of a first polarity and to not emit light in response to a voltage of a second polarity,

wherein the alternating current is supplied to the single insulating substrate, but only the voltage of the first polarity is supplied across the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting elements and the electrodes are substantially square and planar in shape.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting elements and the electrodes are substantially triangular and planar in shape.

4. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein an overall shape of the light emitting elements and the electrodes is substantially square.

5. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting elements are connected by air bridge lines.

6. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting elements are electrically separated by sapphire which is used as the substrate.