US 7,858,408 B2 · LED with phosphor tile and overmolded phosphor in lens

Abstract

Overmolded lenses and certain fabrication techniques are described for LED structures. In one embodiment, thin YAG phosphor plates are formed and affixed over blue LEDs mounted on a submount wafer. A clear lens is then molded over each LED structure during a single molding process. The LEDs are then separated from the wafer. The molded lens may include red phosphor to generate a warmer white light. In another embodiment, the phosphor plates are first temporarily mounted on a backplate, and a lens containing a red phosphor is molded over the phosphor plates. The plates with overmolded lenses are removed from the backplate and affixed to the top of an energizing LED. A clear lens is then molded over each LED structure. The shape of the molded phosphor-loaded lenses may be designed to improve the color vs. angle uniformity. Multiple dies may be encapsulated by a single lens. In another embodiment, a prefabricated collimating lens is glued to the flat top of an overmolded lens.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A process for forming a light emitting diode (LED) structure comprising:

providing an LED emitting blue light on a submount;
affixing a substantially flat preformed phosphor plate to the LED, the preformed phosphor plate containing YAG phosphor emitting a yellow light, wherein a combination of blue light from the LED leaking through the phosphor plate and the yellow light produces white light;
providing a mold having an indention corresponding to an intermediate lens;
filling the indention with a liquid lens material containing a phosphor that generates at least red light when excited by the blue light leaking through the phosphor plate;
after the step of filling, immersing at least the phosphor plate and a portion of the LED into the liquid lens material in the mold;
and
curing the liquid lens material to form a phosphor-loaded lens over the phosphor plate and LED.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/679,143Filed 26 Feb 2007 · continuation in part

Priority

15 Nov 2004

Published

US 2008/0048200 A128 Feb 2008

Granted

28 Dec 2010

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

H10H 20/8514
Wavelength conversion means: characterised by their shape, e.g. plate or foil
B29C 41/14
For making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: dipping a core
B29C 41/20
For making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
B29C 41/22
For making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: making multilayered or multicoloured articles

Family

Application10/990,208Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Nov 2004

Application11/069,418Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Feb 2005

Application11/093,961Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Mar 2005

US 2008/0048200 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Feb 2008

US 7,352,011 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,344,902 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,452,737 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2006/0102914 A1Published application

US 2006/0105484 A1Published application

US 2006/0105485 A1Published application

US 7,858,408 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

LED with phosphor tile and overmolded phosphor in lens

Life of this patent

LED with phosphor tile and overmolded phosphor in lens

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11