Surface light guide and planar emitter

• US 8,998,479 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Brick, Peter, Kaiser, Stephan, Kuhn, Gerhard, Markytan, Ales, Muschaweck, Julius, Neugirg, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNWIDDIE, MEGHAN K
• Application Number:
  US13/643,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 362/608, 362/615, 362/617
• US Class Current: 362/615
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area

Abstract

A surface light guide has a radiation exit area extending along a main extension plane of the surface light guide and is provided for laterally coupling radiation. The surface light guide includes scattering locations for scattering the coupled radiation. The surface light guide includes a first boundary surface and a second boundary surface which delimit the light conductance of the coupled-in radiation in the vertical direction. A first layer and a second layer are formed on each other in the vertical direction between the first boundary surface and the second boundary surface. Further disclosed are a planar emitter including at least one surface light guide.

Claims

1. A surface light guide, comprising:

a radiation exit area running along a main extension plane of the surface light guide and being provided for laterally coupling in radiation;

scattering locations for scattering the coupled-in radiation;

a first interface and a second interface, which delimit light guidance of the coupled-in radiation in a vertical direction;

a first layer and a second layer formed one on top of the other in the vertical direction between the first interface and the second interface; and

a separating film arranged between the first layer and the second layer;

wherein the surface light guide is provided for coupling in radiation having a first radiation component and a second radiation component; and

wherein the first layer and the second layer are decoupled from one another with regard to the light guidance.

2. The surface light guide according to claim 1, wherein the scattering locations have an average extent which is at most 1.0 times a peak wavelength of the coupled-in radiation in the surface light guide.

3. The surface light guide according to claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are formed in such a way that a ratio of the first radiation component to the second radiation component is homogeneous over the radiation exit area.

4. The surface light guide according to claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are each adapted to a respective radiation component with regard to scattering effect.

5. The surface light guide according to claim 1, further comprising a gap arranged between the first layer and the second layer.

6. The surface light guide according to claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer form partial regions of a light guiding region in which the first radiation component and the second radiation component propagate.

7. The surface light guide according to claim 6, further comprising a further layer arranged on that side of the first layer that faces away from the second layer, wherein the first layer has a higher refractive index than the second layer and the further layer.

8. The surface light guide according to claim 7, wherein a material of the first layer has an anomalous dispersion in the visible spectral range and the first layer has a higher concentration of scattering locations than the second layer and the further layer.

9. The surface light guide according to claim 7, wherein a material of the first layer has a normal dispersion in the visible spectral range and the first layer has a lower concentration of scattering locations than the second layer and the further layer.

10. The surface light guide according to claim 1, wherein the surface light guide has a structuring on a side facing away from the radiation exit area.

11. A planar emitter comprising:

the surface light guide according to claim 1; and

at least one radiation source, wherein the radiation coupled into the surface light guide during operation of the planar emitter is generated by the radiation source.

12. The planar emitter according to claim 11, wherein the radiation source comprises a semiconductor body having an active region provided for generating radiation.

13. The planar emitter according to claim 11, wherein the radiation source comprises a white light source and a light source in the green spectral range.

14. A planar emitter comprising:

a first surface light guide;

a second surface light guide; and

at least one radiation source, wherein radiation coupled into the first surface light guide during operation of the planar emitter is generated by the radiation source and wherein the radiation coupled into the second surface light guide during operation of the planar emitter is generated by the radiation source;

wherein the first surface light guide comprises;

a radiation exit area running along a main extension plane of the surface light guide and being provided for laterally coupling in the radiation;

scattering locations for scattering the coupled-in radiation;

a first interface and a second interface, which delimit light guidance of the coupled-in radiation in a vertical direction; and

a first layer and a second layer formed one on top of the other in the vertical direction between the first interface and the second interface.

15. The planar emitter according to claim 14, wherein the second surface light guide comprises:

a second radiation exit area running along a main extension plane of the surface light guide and being provided for laterally coupling in radiation;

second scattering locations for scattering the coupled-in radiation;

a third interface and a fourth interface, which delimit light guidance of the coupled-in radiation in a vertical direction; and

a third layer and a fourth layer formed one on top of the other in the vertical direction between the third interface and the fourth interface.

16. A surface light guide, comprising:

a radiation exit area running along a main extension plane of the surface light guide and being provided for laterally coupling in radiation;

scattering locations for scattering the coupled-in radiation;

a first interface and a second interface, which delimit light guidance of the coupled-in radiation in a vertical direction;

a first layer and a second layer formed one on top of the other in the vertical direction between the first interface and the second interface; and

a further layer arranged on that side of the first layer that faces away from the second layer, wherein the first layer has a higher refractive index than the second layer and the further layer, wherein the surface light guide is provided for coupling in radiation having a first radiation component and a second radiation component.

17. The surface light guide according to claim 16, wherein a material of the first layer has an anomalous dispersion in the visible spectral range and the first layer has a higher concentration of scattering locations than the second layer and the further layer.

18. The surface light guide according to claim 16, wherein a material of the first layer has a normal dispersion in the visible spectral range and the first layer has a lower concentration of scattering locations than the second layer and the further layer.

19. The surface light guide according to claim 16, further comprising a separating film arranged between the first layer and the second layer.

20. The surface light guide according to claim 16, further comprising a separating film and a gap arranged between the first layer and the second layer.