Light emitting devices for liquid crystal displays

• US 7,667,238 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLC (Rambus Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Karlicek, Robert F. Jr., Lim, Michael, Erchak, Alexei A., Brown, Michael Gregory, Venezia, Jo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAI SING
• Application Number:
  US11/210,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20060043391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/92, 257/98, 257/99, 257/918, 257E33001-E33077
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/918 Light emitting regenerative switching device, e.g. light emitting scr arrays, circuitry

Abstract

Light-emitting devices, and related components, processes, systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a panel having an edge; and

an array of light emitting devices, the array of light emitting devices having a combined surface area defined by an outer perimeter of the array of light emitting devices; and

an optical component disposed in an optical path from the light emitting devices to the edge of the panel, the optical component including an aperture having an area defined by a perimeter of the aperture;

wherein the combined surface area of the array of light emitting devices substantially matches the area of the aperture and an aspect ratio of the aperture substantially matches an aspect ratio of the array of light emitting devices, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is circular, and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is circular and the array of light emitting devices comprises four light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a shape of about ¼

of a circle.

2. A system comprising:

a panel having an edge; and

an array of light emitting devices, the array of light emitting devices having a combined surface area defined by an outer perimeter of the array of light emitting devices; and

an optical component disposed in an optical path from the light emitting device to the edge of the panel, the optical component including an aperture having an area defined by a perimeter of the aperture;

wherein the combined surface area of the array of light emitting devices substantially matches the area of the aperture and an aspect ratio of the aperture substantially matches an aspect ratio of the array of light emitting devices, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is circular, and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is circular, and

wherein the array of light emitting devices comprises two light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a shape of about ½

of a circle.

3. A system comprising:

a panel having an edge; and

an array of light emitting devices, the array of light emitting devices having a combined surface area defined by an outer perimeter of the array of light emitting devices; and

an optical component disposed in an optical path from the light emitting device to the edge of the panel, the optical component including an aperture having an area defined by a perimeter of the aperture;

wherein a ratio of the combined surface area of the light emitting devices to the area of the aperture is from about 0.5 to about 1.1, and

wherein at least one of the light emitting devices in the array of light emitting devices comprises a first layer supported by a light generating region, a surface of the first layer being configured so that light generated by the light generating region can emerge from the light emitting device via a surface of the first layer, and

the surface of the first layer has a dielectric function that varies spatially according to a nonperiodic pattern.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the panel comprises liquid crystal display (LCD).

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is rectangular and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is rectangular.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is hexagonal and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is hexagonal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the array of light emitting devices comprises six light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a triangular shape.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is octagonal and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is octagonal.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the array of light emitting devices comprises eight light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a triangular shape.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is circular, and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is circular.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the array of light emitting devices comprises six light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a shape of about ⅙

of a circle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the array of light emitting devices comprises eight light emitting devices and each light emitting device in the array of light emitting devices has a perimeter defining a shape of about ⅛

of a circle.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is trapezoidal and perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is trapezoidal.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is triangular and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is triangular.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein the perimeter of the aperture is square and the perimeter of the array of light emitting devices is square.

16. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one light emitting device is a non-lambertian light emitting device.

17. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one light emitting device is a photonic lattice light emitting device.

18. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the light emitting devices in the array of light emitting devices comprises a first layer supported by a light generating region, a surface of the first layer being configured so that light generated by the light generating region can emerge from the light emitting device via a surface of the first layer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the surface of the first layer has a dielectric function that varies spatially according to a pattern, and the pattern has an ideal lattice constant and a detuning parameter with a value greater than zero.

20. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one light emitting device comprises a light emitting diode.

21. The system of claim 3, wherein the array of light emitting diodes includes at least one light emitting diode selected from the group consisting of red light emitting diodes, blue light emitting diodes, and green light emitting diodes.

22. The system of claim 3, wherein the array of light emitting diodes includes at least one red light emitting diode, at least one blue light emitting diode, and at least one green light emitting diode.

23. The system of claim 3, wherein the optical component is configured to homogenize light emitted from the LED.

24. The system of claim 3, wherein the optical component is configured to disperse light from the LEDs along the edge of the panel.

25. The system of claim 3, further comprising a cooling system configured so that, during use, the cooling system regulates a temperature of the light emitting diode.

26. The system of claim 3, wherein the array of light emitting devices is mounted on a heat sink device.

27. A system comprising:

a panel having an edge; and

an array of light emitting devices, the array of light emitting devices having a combined surface area defined by an outer perimeter of the array of light emitting devices; and

an optical component disposed in an optical path from the light emitting device to the edge of the panel, the optical component including an aperture having an area defined by a perimeter of the aperture;

wherein a ratio of the combined surface area of the light emitting devices to the area of the aperture is from about 0.5 to about 1.1,

wherein at least one of the light emitting devices in the array of light emitting devices comprises a first layer supported by a light generating region, a surface of the first layer being configured so that light generated by the light generating region can emerge from the light emitting device via a surface of the first layer, and

the surface of the first layer has a dielectric function that varies spatially according to a periodic pattern.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the surface of the first layer has a dielectric function that varies spatially according to a complex periodic pattern.