US 9,099,575 B2Granted

Solid state lighting devices and fabrication methods including deposited light-affecting elements

AssigneeCree, Inc.

InventorsNicholas W. Medendorp, Jr., Kurt S. Wilcox, Brian Kinnune

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Abstract

Solid state light emitting devices include one or more light affecting elements (e.g., of one or more light-transmissive, light-absorptive, light-reflective, and/or lumiphoric materials) formed on, over, or around at least one solid state light emitter, with the light affecting elements including multiple fused elements embodying plurality of dots, rods, or layers such as may be formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing. At least one electrically conductive path in electrical communication with a solid state light emitter may be formed by selective material deposition such as 3D printing. Light affecting elements may be individually tailored to individual solid state light emitters, such as to yield different optical distributions for interactions between each specific emitter and its corresponding light affecting element.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method for fabricating a lighting device including at least one solid state light emitter arranged on or over a substrate, the method comprising depositing at least one light-affecting element on, over, or around the at least one solid state light emitter using a three-dimensional printing process, and the method further comprises at least one the following features (a) to (f):

(a) the at least one light-affecting element comprises at least one lumiphoric material;
(b) wherein the at least one light-affecting element is deposited directly on the at least one solid state light emitter;
(c) the at least one light-affecting element is deposited directly on the substrate;
(d) the at least one light-affecting element comprises a cup or dam, and the method further comprises dispensing a liquid material, by a process other than three-dimensional printing, into a recess bounded by the cup or dam;
(e) the at least one solid state light emitter comprises a first and a second solid state light emitter, and the at least one light-affecting element comprises a first light-affecting element deposited on, over, or around the first solid state light emitter and a second light-affecting element deposited on, over, or around the second solid state light emitter;
and the method further comprises:
obtaining or receiving information indicative of output characteristics of at least one of the first solid state light emitter and the second solid state light emitter;
and adjusting at least one of material composition, material concentration, material curing, thickness, and shape of at least one of the first light-affecting element and the second light-affecting element based on said information indicative of output characteristics of at least one of the first solid state light emitter and the second solid state light emitter;
wherein the at least one of material composition, material concentration, material curing, thickness, and shape differs among the first light-affecting element and the second light-affecting element;
and
(f) the at least one solid state light emitter comprises a first and a second solid state light emitter, the at least one light-affecting element comprises a first light-affecting element deposited on, over, or around the first solid state light emitter to yield a first optical distribution based on interaction between the first solid state light emitter and the first light-affecting element;
the at least one light-affecting element comprises a second light-affecting element deposited on, over, or around the second solid state light emitter to yield a second optical distribution based on interaction between the second solid state light emitter and the second light-affecting element;
and the first optical distribution differs from the second optical distribution.

10 more elements

A lighting device comprising:

a substrate;
at least one solid state light emitter arranged on or over the substrate;
and
at least one light-affecting element arranged to receive at least a portion of emissions generated by the at least one solid state light emitter;
wherein the at least one light-affecting element includes a plurality of fused elements comprising a plurality of dots, rods, or layers, and the the lighting device comprises at least one of the following features (i) to (iv):
(i) the at least one light-affecting element comprises a light-transmissive material deposited directly on at least one of the substrate and the at least one solid state light emitter and arranged to transmit at least a portion of a spectral output of the at least one solid state light emitter;
(ii) the at least one light-affecting element comprises a light-reflective material deposited on or over the substrate and arranged to reflect at least a portion of a spectral output of the at least one solid state light emitter;
and
(iii) the at least one light-affecting element comprises a lumiphoric material arranged to absorb at least a portion of a spectral output of the at least one solid state emitter and responsively re-emit at least one spectral output comprising a different peak wavelength than a peak wavelength of the at least one solid state light emitter;
(iv) the at least one solid state light emitter comprises a plurality of solid state light emitters;
the at least one light-affecting element comprises a first light-affecting element arranged on, over, or around a first solid state light emitter of the plurality of solid state light emitters to yield a first optical distribution based on interaction between the first solid state light emitter and the first light-affecting element;
the at least one light-affecting element comprises a second light-affecting element arranged on, over, or around a second solid state light emitter of the plurality of solid state light emitters to yield a second optical distribution based on interaction between the second solid state light emitter and the second light-affecting element;
and the first optical distribution differs from the second optical distribution.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/943,043Filed 16 Jul 2013
Published: US 2015/0021628 A122 Jan 2015
Granted: 4 Aug 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H10H 20/01
Individual inorganic light-emitting semiconductor devices having potential barriers, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED]: manufacture or treatment
H10H 20/851
Packages: wavelength conversion means
H10H 20/853
Encapsulations: characterised by their shape
H10H 20/854
Encapsulations: characterised by their material, e.g. epoxy or silicone resins