# US 2019/0316033 A1 · Converter for lighting devices

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- Number: US 2019/0316033 A1
- Document ID: US20190316033A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/770,566
- Filed: 2016-10-28
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-11
- Assignees: ZKW Group GmbH
- Applicants: ZKW Group GmbH
- Inventors: Peter HARTMANN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190316033A1

## CPC

- C01B 32/26: Preparation (by using ultra-high pressure B01J3/06; by crystal growth C30B29/04)
- C09K 11/02: Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
- C09K 11/08: containing inorganic luminescent materials
- C23C 16/274: {using microwave discharges}
- F21S 41/16: Laser light sources
- F21S 41/176: Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
- F21S 43/16: Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
- F21S 45/47: Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
- C23C 16/27: Diamond only
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a converter (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125) for a lighting device, in particular for a lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight, wherein the converter comprises a converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124) for at least partly converting a primary light, which is emitted from a primary light source, into a secondary light, wherein the secondary light has a different wavelength than the primary light, wherein the converter comprises a flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) made of polycrystalline diamond with a plurality of column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123), which form a column-shaped diamond texture, wherein regions (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 112, 122) of the diamond support structure comprise the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124), and free spaces remain between said regions, the free spaces allow the primary light to pass through the diamond support structure without being converted.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A converter (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125) for a lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight, wherein the converter comprises a converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124) for at least partly converting a primary light, which is emitted from a primary light source, into a secondary light, wherein the secondary light has a different wavelength than the primary light, the converter comprising:
a flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) made of polycrystalline diamond with a plurality of column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123), which form a column-shaped diamond texture, wherein regions (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 112, 122) of the diamond support structure comprise the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124), and free spaces remain between said regions, the free spaces allow the primary light to pass through the diamond support structure without being converted.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein the regions (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 112, 122) of the flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) comprising the converter material follow the topography of the flat diamond support structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1 wherein the column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123) in the flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) are oriented substantially in the direction of light propagation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein the diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) is produced by chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein the column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123) have a mean width of from 1 to 500 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein gaps (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 92, 112) in the diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 90, 110) are filled at least in part with the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 94, 114).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The converter according to claim 6, wherein the gaps (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 92, 112) filled with converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 94, 114) have a thickness of from 10 μm to 2 mm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The converter according to claim 6, wherein the flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 90, 110) has an inner face (20a, 30a, 40a, 50a, 60a, 70a, 90a, 110a) and an outer face (20b, 30b, 40b, 50b, 60b, 70b, 90b, 110b), wherein gaps on at least one of the faces of the diamond support structure are filled at least in part with converter material (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 92, 112).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The converter according to claim 8, wherein the gaps (22, 32) on the inner face (20a, 30a) of the diamond support structure (20, 30) are filled at least in part with converter material (22, 32).

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The converter according to claim 8, wherein the gaps on both faces (30a) of the flat diamond support structure (30) are filled at least in part with converter material (32).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein the flat diamond support structure (80, 120) has an inner face (80a, 120a) and an outer face (80b, 120b), wherein the converter material (84, 124) is applied at least in part to elevations (82, 122) on at least one of the faces of the diamond support structure.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The converter according to claim 11, wherein the converter material (84, 124) is applied at least in part to elevations (82, 122) on the outer face (80b, 120b) of the diamond support structure (80, 120).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The converter according to claim 1, wherein the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124) is selected from the group consisting of doped yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG-Ce), lanthanum-doped yttrium oxide (Y2O3—La2O3), magnesium aluminium spinel (MgAl2O4) and europium-doped M2Si5N8 with M=Ca, Sr or Ba.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight comprising:
a primary light source; and
a converter (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125) according to claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein the primary light source is a laser light source.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

A motor vehicle headlight comprising:
a lighting device according to claim 14.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

A signal light comprising
a lighting device according to claim 14.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A method for producing a converter for a lighting device according to claim 1, the method comprising the following steps:
a) producing a flat polycrystalline diamond support structure on a flat substrate by means of chemical vapour deposition (CVD),
b) at least partially applying converter material in regions of the diamond support structure, wherein free spaces remain between the regions having the converter material, and the free spaces allow the primary light to pass through the diamond support structure without being converted, and
optionally detaching the flat substrate from the polycrystalline diamond support structure after step a) or after step b).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the regions having the converter material are selected from the group consisting of gaps and elevations of the diamond support structure.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the diamond support structure is processed prior to the application of the converter material by a focussed ion beam (FIB) method, by laser drilling, by oxidative etching, by applying a hot metal powder, by polishing, or by stamping.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein an adhesive layer is applied to the diamond support structure, at least in regions prior to the application of the converter material, in order to improve the adhesion of the converter material to the diamond support structure.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the converter material is applied by chemical deposition of gaseous reactants or by material deposition.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the converter material is applied in a solid, liquid or gel-like preform and is then converted into a solid phase connected to the diamond support structure.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

A method for producing a converter for a lighting device according to of claim 1, the method comprising the following steps:
a) producing a structured converter material layer on a flat substrate,
b) depositing a flat polycrystalline diamond support structure on the substrate having the structured converter material layer by means of chemical vapour deposition (CVD), and
optionally detaching the flat substrate from the polycrystalline diamond support structure having the converter material after step b).

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method according to claim 24, wherein the converter material is applied to the substrate by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in conjunction with photolithographic methods, physical material deposition, such as physical vapour deposition (PVD) in conjunction with photolithographic methods, or by structured printing.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the chemical vapour deposition of the diamond support structure is based on a selective seeding of the diamond crystals on the substrate, wherein the substrate or the substrate surface is produced from a foreign material.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method according to claim 26, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of silicon, an element from the group of refractory metals (Ti, Zr, Hf, Va, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W), in particular molybdenum, silicon carbides, carbides of an element from the group of refractory metals (Ti, Zr, Hf, Va, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W), silicon with carbidised surface, and an element from the group of refractory metals (Ti, Zr, Hf, Va, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W) with carbidised surface.

### Claim 28 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the diamond support structure is deposited by chemical vapour deposition on the basis of a homoepitaxial process.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method according to claim 28, wherein the substrate is selected from HPHT diamond or preferably polished natural or CVD diamond substrates.

### Claim 30 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein the converter material is selected from the group consisting of Cer-doped YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet), lanthanum-doped yttrium oxide (Y2O3—La2O3), magnesium aluminium spinel (MgAl2O4) and europium-doped M2Si5N8 with M =Ca, Sr or Ba.

### Claim 31 (depends on 5)

The converter according to claim 5, wherein the column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123) have a width of from 20 to 100 μm.

### Claim 32 (depends on 7)

The converter according to claim 7, wherein the gaps (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 92, 112) filled with converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 94, 114) have a thickness of from 100 to 500 μm.

### Claim 33 (depends on 15)

The lighting device according to claim 15, wherein the laser light source is configured to emit blue light.

### Claim 34 (depends on 22)

The method according to claim 22, wherein the converter material is applied by sputtering or spray-coating.

### Claim 35 (depends on 29)

The method according to claim 29, wherein the substrate is a polished natural or CVD diamond substrate.