High power radiation emitter device and heat dissipating package for electronic components

• US 20040113549A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, John K, Reese, Spencer D
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/42 Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or encapsulations selected or arranged to facilitate heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/648 the elements comprising fluids, e.g. heat-pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity

Abstract

The electronic component package (10) of the present invention includes a sealed chamber, a liquid or gel (20) contained in the sealed chamber, at least one electronic component (12) disposed in the sealed chamber in physical and thermal contact with the liquid or gel (20); and at least one electrical conductor electrically coupled to the electronic component and extending out of the sealed chamber. The electronic component(s) (12) may include any one or combination of a radiation emitter, a thermal or optical sensor, a resistor, and a microprocessor or other semiconductor component.

Claims

1. An optical radiation emitting device comprising:

a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber;

an electroluminescent emitter that emits optical radiation in response to an electrical signal, said electroluminescent emitter disposed in said sealed chamber in physical and thermal contact with said liquid or gel; and

first and second electrical conductors electrically coupled to said electroluminescent emitter for energizing said electroluminescent emitter.

2. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1, wherein said liquid or gel has a relatively low electrical conductivity.

3. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1, wherein said electroluminescent emitter is an LED chip.

4. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1, wherein said sealed chamber is formed between first and second substrates that are spaced apart and joined by a seal.

5. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a sensor disposed in said sealed chamber.

6. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 5, wherein said sensor is an optical sensor.

7. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 5, wherein said sensor is a thermal sensor.

8. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a thermistor disposed in said sealed chamber.

9. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a resistor disposed in said sealed chamber.

10. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a transistor disposed in said sealed chamber.

11. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a diode disposed in said sealed chamber.

12. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a Zener diode disposed in said sealed chamber.

13. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 1 and further including a voltage regulator disposed in said sealed chamber.

14. A radiation emitting device comprising:

a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber and having a relatively low electrical conductivity;

a radiation emitter that emits radiation in response to an electrical signal disposed in said sealed chamber in thermal contact with said liquid or gel; and

first and second electrical conductors electrically coupled to said radiation emitter and extending out of said sealed chamber.

15. The radiation emitting device of claim 14, wherein said sealed chamber is defined by first and second substrates sealed together.

16. The radiation emitting device of claim 15, wherein said first substrate is a circuit board and wherein at least one of said first and second electrical conductors are traces formed on said circuit board.

17. A radiation emitting device comprising:

first and second substrates sealed together and spaced apart to define a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber; and

a radiation emitter that emits radiation in response to an electrical signal disposed in said sealed chamber in thermal contact with said liquid or gel.

18. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said second substrate is at least partially transparent to the radiation emitted from said radiation emitter.

19. The radiation emitting device of claim 18 and further including a transparent electrical conductor provided on said second substrate.

20. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said first substrate is electrically conductive.

21. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said first substrate has a high thermal conductivity.

22. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said first substrate is electrically nonconductive.

23. The radiation emitting device of claim 22 and further including an electrical conductor provided on said first substrate.

24. The radiation emitting device of claim 23 and further including a second electrical conductor provided on said first substrate.

25. The radiation emitting device of claim 23 and further including a second electrical conductor provided on said second substrate.

26. The radiation emitting device of claim 17 and further including an electrical conductor provided on said second substrate.

27. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said liquid or gel includes propylene carbonate.

28. The radiation emitting device of claim 17 and further including a plurality of radiation emitters disposed in said sealed chamber.

29. The radiation emitting device of claim 28, wherein said plurality of radiation emitters emits binary complementary colored light to form effective white light.

30. The radiation emitting device of claim 28, wherein said plurality of radiation emitters emits red, green, and blue colored light.

31. The radiation emitting device of claim 28, wherein said plurality of radiation emitters emits light having the same hue.

32. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said radiation emitter emits infrared radiation.

33. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said radiation emitter emits ultraviolet radiation.

34. The radiation emitting device of claim 17, wherein said first substrate is a circuit board.

35. A method of reducing thermal resistance of a radiation emitter device, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting the radiation emitter device on a substrate; and

surrounding at least a portion of the radiation emitter device with a convective liquid or gel.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said substrate has a high thermal conductivity.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said step of surrounding the radiation emitter device with a liquid or gel includes the substeps of:

providing a first substrate;

mounting the radiation emitter device to the first substrate;

sealing a second substrate to the first substrate to define a sealed chamber around the radiation emitter device; and

dispensing the liquid or gel in the sealed chamber.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein said liquid or gel is highly convective.

39. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber;

a plurality of optical radiation emitters that emits light in response to an electrical signal, said light sources disposed in said sealed chamber in physical and thermal contact with said liquid or gel; and

first and second electrical conductors electrically coupled to said optical radiation emitters for energizing said optical radiation emitters.

40. A package for at least one electronic semiconductor component, said package comprising:

first and second substrates sealed together and spaced apart to define a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber; and

at least one electronic semiconductor component disposed in said sealed chamber in thermal contact with said liquid or gel.

41. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said first and second substrates are printed circuit boards.

42. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said second substrate is substantially opaque.

43. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said second substrate is substantially transparent.

44. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a radiation emitting device.

45. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said at least one electronic component includes an optical sensor.

46. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a microprocessor.

47. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said second substrate has a high thermal conductivity.

48. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said first substrate is a printed circuit board.

49. The electronic component package of claim 48, wherein a portion of said first circuit board extends outward from said sealed chamber, said portion including at least one electrical contact electrically coupled to at least one of said electronic components disposed in said sealed chamber.

50. The electronic component package of claim 49, wherein said electrical contact is configured to contact a corresponding electrical contact in an edge connector.

51. The electronic component package of claim 40, wherein said second substrate is a heat sink having a large outer surface area.

52. The electronic component package of claim 51, wherein said heat sink having a plurality of fins extending away from said sealed chamber.

53. The electronic component package of claim 51, wherein said heat sink having a plurality of passageways through which liquid may flow.

54. The electronic component package of claim 53, wherein said passageways open into said sealed chamber such that said liquid in said sealed chamber may flow through said passageways.

55. A package for at least one electronic component, said package comprising:

a circuit board and a substrate, sealed together and spaced apart to define a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber; and

at least one electronic component mounted on said circuit board and disposed in said sealed chamber in thermal contact with said liquid or gel.

56. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said substrate is substantially opaque.

57. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said substrate is substantially transparent.

58. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a radiation emitting device.

59. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said at least one electronic component includes an optical sensor.

60. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a microprocessor.

61. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a resistor.

62. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said second substrate has a high thermal conductivity.

63. The electronic component package of claim 55, wherein said at least one electronic component includes a semiconductor component.

64. An optical radiation emitting device comprising:

first and second substrates sealed together and spaced apart to define a sealed chamber;

a liquid or gel contained in said sealed chamber;

a plurality 6f LED chips secured to said first substrate; and

first and second electrical conductors disposed on one or both of said first and second substrates and electrically coupled to said LED chips for energizing said LED chips.

65. An optical radiation emitting device comprising:

a sealed chamber;

a fluid intermediary material contained in said sealed chamber and having a refractive index greater than 1.0;

an electroluminescent emitter that emits optical radiation in response to an electrical signal;

said electroluminescent emitter disposed in said sealed chamber in physical and thermal contact with said fluid intermediary material; and

first and second electrical conductors electrically coupled to said electroluminescent emitter for energizing said electroluminescent emitter.

66. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 65, wherein said fluid intermediary material contained has a refractive index greater than about 1.3.

67. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 65, wherein said fluid intermediary material contained has a refractive index greater than about 1.4.

68. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 65, wherein said fluid intermediary medium is a liquid or gel.

70. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 68, wherein said protective barrier is made of a material that is resistant to yellowing over time.

71. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 68, wherein said protective barrier is made of a material that is resistant to hazing.

72. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 68, wherein said protective barrier is made of glass.

73. The optical radiation emitting device of claim 68, wherein said protective barrier comprises a substrate and an intermediary material disposed between said emitter and said substrate.

69. An optical radiation emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor radiation emitter that emits optical radiation in response to an electrical signal;

a protective barrier for protecting said semiconductor radiation emitter, said protective barrier comprises a material that substantially maintains its in-band optical properties over time; and

first and second electrical conductors electrically coupled to said semiconductor radiation emitter for energizing said semiconductor radiation emitter.