SUBMOUNT BASED SURFACE MOUNT DEVICE (SMD) LIGHT EMITTER COMPONENTS AND METHODS

• US 20130270592A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reiherzer, Jesse Colin, Hussell, Christopher P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,134,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• 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 2933/0058 relating to optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/486 adapted for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/52 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

Submount based surface mount design (SMD) light emitter components and related methods are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of providing a submount based light emitter component can include providing a ceramic based submount, providing at least one light emitter chip on the submount, providing at least one electrical contact on a portion of the submount, and providing a non-ceramic based reflector cavity on a portion of the submount.

Claims

1. A method of providing a light emitter component, the method comprising:

providing a ceramic based submount;

providing at least one electrical contact on a portion of the submount;

providing at least one light emitter chip on the submount; and

providing a reflector cavity on a portion of the submount, wherein the reflector cavity comprises a non-ceramic based material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least one electrical contact comprises providing a contact disposed along portions of at least three external surfaces of the submount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reflector cavity comprises dispensing a retention material over the submount.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the retention material comprises a silicone material, an epoxy, a plastic material, or a thermoset material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reflector cavity comprises providing an injection molded plastic retention material over the submount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic based submount comprises alumina (Al₂O₃).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least one light emitter chip comprises providing a light emitting diode (LED) chip.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least one light emitter chip comprises providing two or more light emitting diode (LED) chips.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing at least one light emitter chip comprises providing six LED chips.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least one electrical contact on a portion of the submount comprises applying metal to at least a portion of one or more external lateral sides of the submount for electrically connecting a top contact portion to a bottom contact portion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein applying metal comprises electroplating at least a portion of the one or more external lateral sides of the submount.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein applying metal comprises chemically or physically depositing metal to at least a portion of the one or more external lateral sides of the submount.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the at least one light emitter chip over the submount comprises mounting the at least one chip directly to a top surface of the submount with an adhesive.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the reflector cavity comprises providing a reflector cavity having an angled inner wall.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an encapsulant material inside the reflector cavity.

16. A submount based light emitter component comprising:

a ceramic based submount;

at least one light emitter chip disposed on the submount; and

a reflector cavity disposed about the at least one light emitter chip, wherein the reflector cavity comprises a non-ceramic based material.

17. The component of claim 16, further comprising at least one electrical contact disposed along portions of at least three external surfaces of the submount.

18. The component of claim 17, wherein the electrical contact comprises a top contact portion, a bottom contact portion, and a side contact portion.

19. The component of claim 18, wherein each of the top, bottom, and side contact portions comprise areas of electroplated metal.

20. The component of claim 18, wherein the side contact portion comprises a sawn thru-hole.

21. The component of claim 16, wherein the reflector cavity comprises a silicone material, a plastic material, an epoxy, or a thermoset material.

22. The component of claim 16, wherein a thickness, height, or angle of the reflector cavity is customized.

23. The component of claim 16, wherein the at least one light emitter chip comprises a light emitting diode (LED) chip.

24. The component of claim 16, comprising one or more internal via connecting to a bottom contact portion.

25. A light emitter component comprising:

a submount;

at least one light emitter chip disposed over the submount;

at least one electrical contact spaced apart from the at least one light emitter chip, the electrical contact comprising a top contact portion, a bottom contact portion, and a side contact portion disposed between the top contact and the bottom contact portion, wherein the top, bottom, and side contact portions are external from the submount; and

a reflector cavity disposed over a portion of the submount, wherein the reflector cavity is a different material than the submount.

26. The component of claim 25, wherein the reflector cavity comprises a silicone material, a plastic material, an epoxy, and/or a thermoset material.

27. The component of claim 25, wherein a thickness, height, and/or angle of the reflector cavity is customized.

28. The component of claim 25, wherein the side contact portion comprises an area of conductive paste, ink, epoxy, metal, an exposed metallic via, and/or an end cap.

29. The component of claim 25, wherein the top contact portion, the bottom contact portion, and the side contact portion comprise areas of electroplated metal.

30. The component of claim 29, wherein the areas of electroplated metal comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, nickel, gold, palladium, titanium and combinations thereof.

31. The component of claim 25, wherein the at least one light emitter chip is wirebonded to the top contact portion.

32. The component of claim 25, wherein the bottom contact portion is soldered to an external substrate or heat sink.