Back-to-back solid state lighting devices and associated methods

• US 9,443,834 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Basceri, Cem, Kurth, Casey, Tetz, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Whitney T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Scott R
• Application Number:
  US12/874,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0756 Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/50 Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• 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 2933/0033 relating to semiconductor body packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0041 relating to wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/486 adapted for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/501 characterised by the materials, e.g. binder
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]

Abstract

Solid state lights (SSLs) including a back-to-back solid state emitters (SSEs) and associated methods are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, an SSL can include a carrier substrate having a first surface and a second surface different from the first surface. First and second through substrate interconnects (TSIs) can extend from the first surface of the carrier substrate to the second surface. The SSL can further include a first and a second SSE, each having a front side and a back side opposite the front side. The back side of the first SSE faces the first surface of the carrier substrate and the first SSE is electrically coupled to the first and second TSIs. The back side of the second SSE faces the second surface of the carrier substrate and the second SSE is electrically coupled to the first and second TSIs.

Claims

1. A solid state light (SSL), comprising:

a carrier substrate having a first surface and a second surface different from the first surface, wherein the carrier substrate comprises an electrically insulative material;

a first through substrate interconnect (TSI) extending through the electrically insulative material from the first surface of the carrier substrate to the second surface;

a second TSI extending through the electrically insulative material from the first surface of the carrier substrate to the second surface;

a first solid state emitter (SSE) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the second side faces the first surface of the carrier substrate, wherein the first SSE has a first reflective material attached with a first transparent electrically conductive material to the second side, and wherein the first SSE is electrically coupled to the first and second TSIs; and

a second SSE having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the second side faces the second surface of the carrier substrate, wherein the second SSE has a second reflective material attached with a second transparent electrically conductive material to the second side, and wherein the second SSE is electrically coupled to the first and second TSIs, and wherein the electrically insulative material is spaced between the first and second SSEs, wherein the first and second SSEs directly overlap the first and second TSIs.

2. The SSL of claim 1 wherein the first surface of the carrier substrate is opposite the second surface, and wherein the first and second SSEs comprise:

a first semiconductor material on the first side, a second semiconductor material on the second side, and an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials;

a first electrical contact connected to the first semiconductor material and electrically coupled to the first TSI; and

a second electrical contact connected to the second semiconductor material and electrically coupled to the second TSI.

3. The SSL of claim 2 wherein the first electrical contact of the first SSE is a buried contact in the first semiconductor material, and the SSL further comprises:

an electrical connector extending from the first TSI to the buried contact; and

a dielectric material surrounding at least a portion of the connector, wherein the dielectric material electrically isolates the connector from the second semiconductor material.

4. The SSL of claim 2 wherein:

the first semiconductor material comprises N-type gallium nitride (N—

GaN);

the second semiconductor material comprises a P-type gallium nitride (P—

GaN);

the active region comprises indium gallium nitride (InGaN), wherein the second semiconductor material and the active region expose the first electrical contact; and

the SSL further comprises a conductive member electrically coupled between the first contact and the first TSI.

5. The SSL of claim 2 wherein:

the first semiconductor material comprises P-type gallium nitride (P—

GaN);

the second semiconductor material comprises a N-type gallium nitride (N—

GaN);

the active region comprises indium gallium nitride (InGaN), wherein the second semiconductor material and the active region expose the first electrical contact; and

the SSL further comprises a conductive member electrically coupled between the first contact and the first TSI.

6. The SSL of claim 2, wherein

the first and second semiconductor materials generate light and the first and second reflective materials reflect at least a portion of the light generated by the first and second semiconductor materials.

7. The SSL of claim 1 wherein the carrier substrate comprises aluminum nitride.

8. The SSL of claim 1 wherein the carrier substrate comprises a conductive core electrically isolated from the first and second TSIs.

9. The SSL of claim 1, further comprising:

a converter material at least partially covering the first SSE and the second SSE.

10. The SSL of claim 1, further comprising:

a first converter material at least partially covering the first SSE; and

a second converter material different from the first converter material at least partially covering the second SSE.

11. The SSL of claim 1 wherein the first SSE emits light having a first color and the second SSE emits light having a second color different from the first color.

12. The SSL of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating device coupled to the first and second SSEs, wherein the rotating device rotates the first and second SSEs around at least one axis.

13. The SSL of claim 12 wherein the rotating device rotates the first and second SSEs at a speed that produces intermittent flashes of light at a point spaced apart from the SSL.

14. The SSL of claim 12 wherein the rotating device rotates the first and second SSEs at a speed that emulates generally constant light at a point spaced apart from the SSL.

15. The SSL of claim 1 wherein the carrier substrate further comprises at least an additional surface, and the SSL further comprises:

at least an additional SSE having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the second side faces the additional surface of the carrier substrate and the additional SSE is electrically coupled to the first and second TSIs.

16. The SSL of claim 1 wherein:

the first SSE is one of a plurality of first SSEs;

the second SSE is one of a plurality of second SSEs;

the first TSI is one of a plurality of first TSIs; and

the second TSI is one of a plurality of second TSIs, wherein the plurality of first and second TSIs correspond and electrically couple to the plurality of first and second SSEs.

17. A solid state light (SSL), comprising:

a first solid state emitter (SSE) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first semiconductor material on the first side having a first contact, a second semiconductor material on the second side having a second contact, an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials, and a first wherein the first SSE has a first reflective material attached with a first reflective material attached with a first transparent electrically conductive material to the second side;

a second SSE having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first semiconductor material on the first side having a first contact, a second semiconductor material on the second side having a second contact, an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials, and a second reflective material attached with a second transparent electrically conductive material to the second side;

a carrier substrate having a first surface and a second surface different from the first surface, wherein the second side of the first SSE is proximate to the first surface and the second side of the second SSE is proximate to the second surface, and wherein the first and second SSEs are spaced apart from each other by an electrically insulative material of the carrier substrate;

a first through substrate interconnect (TSI) extending through the electrically insulative material from the first surface of the carrier substrate to the second surface and electrically connected to the first contacts on the first and second SSEs; and

a second TSI extending through the electrically insulative material from the first surface of the carrier substrate to the second surface and electrically connected to the second contacts on the first and second SSEs,

wherein the first and second SSEs directly overlap the first and second TSIs.

18. The SSL of claim 17, further comprising:

a rotating device coupled to the first and second SSEs to spin the first and second SSEs at a speed that produces intermittent flashes of light at a point spaced apart from the SSL.

19. The SSL of claim 17, further comprising:

a rotating device coupled to the first and second SSEs to spin the first and second SSEs at a speed that emulates generally constant light at a point spaced apart from the SSL.

20. The SSL of claim 17 wherein the carrier substrate comprises aluminum nitride.

21. The SSL of claim 17 wherein the carrier substrate comprises a conductive core positioned to transfer heat away from the first and second SSEs, and wherein the conductive core is electrically isolated from at least the first and second TSIs and the first and second SSEs.

22. The SSL of claim 17 wherein:

the carrier substrate comprises aluminum nitride;

the first surface of the carrier substrate is opposite the second surface;

the first TSI has a first end at the first surface of the carrier substrate and a second end at the second surface;

the second TSI has a first end proximate to the first surface of the carrier substrate and a second end proximate to the second surface;

the first electrical contact of the first SSE is a buried contact in the first semiconductor material; and

the SSL further comprises an electrical connector extending from the first end of the first TSI to the buried contact, wherein at least a portion of the electrical connector is surrounded by a dielectric material electrically isolating the connector from the second semiconductor material.

23. The SSL of claim 17 wherein the first surface of the carrier substrate is opposite the second surface of the carrier substrate, the carrier substrate further comprises at least one additional surface different from the first and second surfaces, and the SSL further comprises:

at least one additional SSE having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first semiconductor material on the first side having a first electrical contact, a second semiconductor material on the second side having a second electrical contact, and an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials, wherein the second side is proximate to the additional surface of the carrier substrate, the first contact is electrically connected to the first TSI and the second contact is electrically connected to the second TSI.