ELECTROLUMINESCENT SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE CONTAINING CURRENT-CONTROLLING RECTIFYING DEVICE

• US 3,739,241 A
• Filed: 02/29/1972
• Issued: 06/12/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jacques Claude Thillays
• Original Assignee: Jacques Claude Thillays
• Inventors: Thillays, Jacques Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Huckert, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): James, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US05/230,409
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 317/234,3,3.1,4,4.1,27,235,31 313/18D
• US Class Current: 257/100
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/06 Electrode terminals

Abstract

An electroluminescent semiconductor device. An electroluminescent device which is arranged in a partly transparent, protective housing which comprises two connections. The device is characterized in that it comprises at least two semiconductor crystals of which one crystal shows an electroluminescent junction and the other shows a rectifying junction. The junctions are connected in series in such manner that during operation of the device all junctions are in the forward direction or all junctions are in the reverse direction.

Claims

1. An electroluminescent device comprising a. a protective housing of at least partly transparent material;

b. two mutually electrically insulated output connection members individually having a first portion within said housing and a second portion projecting from said housing; and

c. at least first and second semiconductor crystals in said housing, and individually comprising two regions of opposite conductivity types, said regions of said first crystal defining an electroluminescent junction and said regions of said second crystal defining a rectifying junction, said crystals being in series connection with each other with one of said regions of said first crystal being electrically connected to a region of opposite conductivity type of said second crystal, said junctions being polarized in the same direction, the other respective regions of said first and second crystals being electrically connected to respective said connection members, whereby said second crystal controls the current to said first crystal.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second crystals are mounted on respective ones of said connection members.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said second crystal is mounted at a face thereof on one of said output connections and said first crystal is mounted on another opposite face of said second crystal.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first crystal is located in the major axis of said protective housing.