Light-emitting systems

• US 8,704,241 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Inventors: Yeh, Wen-Yung, Yu, Yu-Chen, Yen, Hsi-Hsuan, Lin, Jui-Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Niu, Xinning
• Application Number:
  US12/246,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 315/294
• US Class Current: 257/82
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• 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 33/36 characterised by the electrodes
• 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 system includes a first power input terminal and a second power input terminal and five rectifying devices coupled between the two power input terminals. The first and second power input terminals may receive an external power input. The first rectifying device is coupled between the first power input terminal and a first intermediate contact. The second rectifying device is coupled between the second power input terminal and the first intermediate contact. The third rectifying device is coupled between a second intermediate contact and the second power input terminal. The fourth rectifying device is coupled between the second intermediate contact and the first power input terminal. The fifth rectifying device is coupled between the first intermediate contact and the second intermediate contact. The fifth rectifying device is configured to allow a current flow from the first intermediate contact to the second intermediate contact and to emit light in response to the current flow. One or more of the first, second, third, and fourth rectifying devices may include one or more light-emitting diodes, one or more Schottky diode(s), or a combination of both types of diodes.

Claims

1. A light-emitting system, comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of bridge-circuit connections electrically connected to each other over the substrate, each bridge-circuit connection comprising;

at least four side branches, each side branch comprising;

two terminals; and

at least one light-emitting micro diode coupled between the two terminals;

a central branch comprising at least one light-emitting micro diode;

a first intermediate contact between a first side branch and a second side branch of the at least four side branches; and

a second intermediate contact between a third side branch and a fourth side branch of the at least four side branches,

wherein the central branch is coupled between the first intermediate contact and the second intermediate contact,

wherein each of the bridge circuit connections is configured to allow a current flow from the first intermediate contact to the second intermediate contact, to emit light in response to the current flow, and to receive an alternating current input to enable at least a first group of the light-emitting micro diodes to emit light during positive cycles of the alternating current input and at least a second group of the light-emitting micro diodes to emit light during negative cycles of the alternating current input.

2. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein at least one micro diode in at least one of the at least four side branches is forward serial coupled with another one of the at least one light-emitting micro diode in the at least one side branch.

3. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one light-emitting micro diode in the central branch has two active layers.

10. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bridge-circuit connections are serially connected in a zigzag pattern.

4. A light-emitting system comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of rectifying device sets electrically connected to each other over the substrate, each rectifying device set comprising;

a first power input terminal and a second power input terminal for receiving an external power input;

a first rectifying device coupled between the first power input terminal and a first intermediate contact, the first rectifying device being configured to allow a current flow from the first power input terminal to the first intermediate contact;

a second rectifying device coupled between the second power input terminal and the first intermediate contact, the second rectifying device being configured to allow a current flow from the second power input terminal to the first intermediate contact;

a third rectifying device coupled between a second intermediate contact and the second power input terminal, the third rectifying device being configured to allow a current flow from the second intermediate contact to the second power input terminal;

a fourth rectifying device coupled between the second intermediate contact and the first power input terminal, the fourth rectifying device being configured to allow a current flow from the second intermediate contact to the first power input terminal; and

a fifth rectifying device coupled between the first intermediate contact and the second intermediate contact, the fifth rectifying device being configured to allow a current flow from the first intermediate contact to the second intermediate contact,

wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth rectifying devices comprises at least one light-emitting micro diode.

5. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the fifth rectifying device comprises at least one light-emitting micro diode to emit light in response to the current flow.

6. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the at least one light-emitting micro diode has at least one active layer.

7. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the first and second power input terminals are configured to receive an alternating-current input.

8. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein a first input current flowing from the first power input terminal to the second power input terminal flows through the first, fifth, and third rectifying devices, and a second input current flowing from the second power input terminal to the first power input terminal flows through the second, fifth, and fourth rectifying devices to allow the light-emitting system to emit light in response to both the first and second input currents.

9. The light-emitting system of claim 8,

wherein the at least one light-emitting micro diode of each of the first and third rectifying devices emits light when the first input current is present, and

wherein the at least one light-emitting micro diode of each of the second and fourth rectifying devices emits light when the second input current is present.

11. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of rectifying device sets are serially connected in a zigzag pattern.

12. The light-emitting system of claim 4, wherein the first power input terminal of one of the rectifying device sets electrically connects to the second power input terminal of another one of the rectifying device sets.