Light-emitting device having light-emitting elements with a shared electrode

• US 8,680,533 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakai, Shiro, Ao, Jin-Ping, Ono, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Hoa B
• Application Number:
  US12/652,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 257/76, 257/79, 257 82- 85, 257/86, 257/88, 257/E33.026, 257/E33.029
• US Class Current: 257/76
• 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, comprising:

an insulating substrate; and

two GaN-based light emitting elements spaced apart from each other and disposed on the insulating substrate,

wherein the two GaN-based light emitting elements share a first electrode with each other such that the first shared electrode commonly connects cathodes of the two GaN-based light emitting elements,

wherein the first shared electrode is spaced apart from the insulating substrate,

wherein the first shared electrode is disposed between the two GaN-based light emitting elements, and

wherein the light emitting device is configured to be driven by an alternating current (AC) power supply having a forward bias and a reverse bias, and

wherein first and second light emitting elements of the two GaN-based light emitting elements are configured to emit light only during different ones of the reverse bias and the forward bias.

2. The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first shared electrode is a p-electrode.

3. The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first shared electrode commonly connects anodes of another two GaN-based light emitting elements spaced apart from each other and disposed on the insulating substrate.

4. The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein one of the GaN-based light emitting elements emits light in a forward bias of the AC power supply, and one of the GaN-based light emitting elements emits light in a reverse bias of the AC power supply.

5. The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein an overall shape of the two GaN-based light emitting elements combined is substantially quadrilateral.

6. The light emitting device of claim 5, wherein each of the GaN-based light emitting elements has a substantially triangle shape.

7. The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the two GaN-based light emitting elements are disposed directly on the substrate.

8. A light emitting device configured to be driven by an alternating current (AC) power supply, the light emitting device comprising:

an insulating substrate; and

first and second GaN-based light emitting elements spaced apart from each other and disposed on the insulating substrate,

wherein the first and second GaN-based light emitting elements share a first electrode with each other such that the first shared electrode commonly connects cathodes of the first and second GaN-based light emitting elements or commonly connects anodes of the first and second GaN-based light emitting elements, and

wherein the first GaN-based light emitting element is configured to emit light and the second GaN-based light emitting element is configured to not emit light during a first cycle of the AC power supply, and the second GaN-based light emitting element is configured to emit light and the first GaN-based light emitting element is configured to not emit light during a second cycle of the AC power supply.