Multi-chip light emitting device lamps for providing high-CRI warm white light and light fixtures including the same

• US 8,847,478 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Medendorp, Nicholas W. Jr., McClear, Mark Terrence, Keller, Bernd P., Brandes, George R., LeToquin, Ronan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US13/851,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 313501-502, 313/512, 362/800, 362/231
• US Class Current: 313/501
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/586 with alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/623 with zinc or cadmium
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7421 with alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7702 with zinc or cadmium
• 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: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/12 characterised by the geometrical disposition of the light-generating elements, e.g. arranging light-generating elements in differing patterns or densities
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/17 forming a single encapsulated light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 33/504 Elements with two or more wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A multi-chip lighting emitting device (LED) lamp for providing white light includes a submount including first and second die mounting regions thereon. A first LED chip is mounted on the first die mounting region, and a second LED chip is mounted on the second die mounting region. The LED lamp is configured to emit light having a spectral distribution including at least four different color peaks to provide the white light. For example, a first conversion material may at least partially cover the first LED chip, and may be configured to absorb at least some of the light of the first color and re-emit light of a third color. In addition, a second conversion material may at least partially cover the first and/or second LED chips, and may be configured to absorb at least some of the light of the first and/or second colors and re-emit light of a fourth color. Related light fixtures and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A light fixture comprising:

multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps, wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp includes multiple solid state emitters mounted to a substrate or submount, wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp comprises at least one wavelength conversion material arranged to receive emissions of at least one solid state emitter of the multiple solid state emitters; and

wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp is arranged to output white light;

at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp arranged to output colored light and not mounted to the substrate or submount of any solid state multi-chip emitter lamp, wherein the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp and the substrate or submount of each multi-chip emitter lamp are attached to a single mounting plate; and

a control circuit electrically coupled to the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps and the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp, wherein the control circuit is configured to independently apply drive current to any one or more of (i) the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp, and (ii) the multiple solid state emitters.

2. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp independently of the multiple solid state emitters.

3. A light fixture according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp to adjust at least one of CRI and CCT of light output by the light fixture.

4. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to independently control multiple solid state emitters within each solid state multi-chip emitter lamps of the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps.

5. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to independently apply drive current to each emitter of the multiple solid state emitters and the at least one single solid state single-chip emitter lamp.

6. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is adapted to adjust a ratio of drive currents to any one or more of (i) the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp, and (ii) the multiple solid state emitters, in order to control at least one of intensity, color, color rendering index, and chromaticity of light output from the light fixture.

7. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps and the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp are present in a ratio of at least 2:

1 of solid state multi-chip emitter lamps to the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp.

8. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps and the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp are present in a ratio of at least 4:

1 of solid state multi-chip emitter lamps to the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp.

9. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps and the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp are present in a ratio of at least 10:

1 of solid state multi-chip emitter lamps to the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp.

10. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps includes a first solid state multi-chip emitter lamp and a second solid state multi-chip emitter lamp, and wherein the first solid state multi-chip emitter lamp includes a different combination of multiple solid state emitters than the second solid state multi-chip emitter lamp.

11. A light fixture according to claim 1, configured to emit light having a spectral distribution including at least four different spectral peaks in the visible range.

12. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wavelength conversion material comprises a first wavelength conversion material and a second wavelength conversion material, each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp comprises a first solid state emitter with the first wavelength conversion material at least partially covering the first solid state emitter, and each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp comprises a second solid state emitter with the second wavelength conversion material at least partially covering the second solid state emitter.

13. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp comprises a first LED arranged to output a first color and a second LED arranged to output a second color that differs from the first color.

14. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp comprises at least one of (a) a LED chip arranged configured to emit light in a red wavelength range and (b) a LED chip arranged configured to emit light in a cyan wavelength range.

15. A light fixture according to claim 1, wherein at least one solid state multi-chip emitter lamp of the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps comprises a first LED chip configured to emit light at a peak wavelength of about 440-490 nm, a second LED chip configured to emit light at a peak wavelength of about 495-515 nm, and a third LED chip configured to emit light at a peak wavelength of about 610-630 nm.

16. A light fixture according to claim 1, comprising a yellow phosphor configured to convert at least some light within the blue wavelength range to light within a yellow wavelength range.

17. A light fixture according to claim 1, arranged to output a combination of light having a color temperature of about 2600 K to about 6000 K.

18. A light fixture according to claim 1, having light output of at least about 60 lumens per watt and a color rendering index of at least 90.

19. A method utilizing a light fixture according to claim 1, the method comprising independently applying drive current to any one or more of (i) the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp, and (ii) the multiple solid state emitters to control at least one of intensity, color, color rendering index, and chromaticity of light output from the light fixture.

20. A method utilizing a light fixture according to claim 1, the method comprising controlling the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp to adjust at least one of CRI and CCT of light output by the light fixture.

21. A light fixture comprising:

multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps, wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp includes multiple solid state emitters mounted to a substrate or submount, wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp comprises at least one wavelength conversion material arranged to receive emissions of at least one solid state emitter of the multiple solid state emitters; and

wherein each solid state multi-chip emitter lamp is arranged to output white light;

at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp arranged to output colored light and not mounted to the substrate or submount of any solid state multi-chip emitter lamp, wherein the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp and the substrate or submount of each multi-chip emitter lamp are attached to a single mounting plate; and

a control circuit electrically coupled to the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps and the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the at least one solid state single-chip emitter lamp independently of the multiple solid state multi-chip emitter lamps.