Light-emitting devices with reinforcement materials and related methods
Light-emitting devices including solid-state light-emitting devices, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and LED packages with reinforcement materials and related methods are disclosed. Reinforcement materials may include fibers and/or particles that are incorporated in various elements of light-emitting devices to provide improved mechanical strength, reduced differences in thermal expansion, improved adhesion between various device elements, modified optical characteristics such as modified far field patterns, and/or improved manufacturability. Reinforcement materials may be provided within support elements on which LED chips are mounted. In certain aspects, the support elements may be light-transmissive to light emitted by the LED chips. Reinforcement materials may also be provided in laminate films are that provided on support elements. Such laminate films may provide build-up structures that form cavities for the LED chip, or the laminate films may conformally cover the LED chips.
1 . A light-emitting device comprising:
one or more light-emitting diode (LED) chips;
a support element comprising a mounting face on which the one or more LED chips are mounted and an emission face that is opposite the mounting face, wherein the support element is configured to be light-transmissive such that the support element is configured to transmit at least 50% of wavelengths of light generated by the one or more LED chips so that a majority of light from the one or more LED chips is configured to exit the support element through the emission face, the support element comprises a plurality of reinforcement materials embedded in a binder material;
wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials comprises fibers that include one or more of glass fibers, carbon fibers, and mineral fibers; and; and
first and second device contact pads electrically coupled to the one or more LED chips, the first and second device contact pads forming mounting locations for receiving external electrical connections, the one or more LED chips being arranged between the support element and the first and second device contact pads; and
a metal pad arranged between the support element and the first device contact pad.
2 . The light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials further comprises one or more of glass particles, silica particles, alumina particles, carbon particles, and mineral particles.
3 . The light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the support element comprises a weight ratio of the fibers in a range from 20% to 80%.
4 . The light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the fibers form an interlaced weave pattern within the support element.
5 . The light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the support element comprises a fiber cloth.
6 . The light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials comprises one or more of glass particles, silica particles, alumina particles, carbon particles, and mineral particles.
7 . The light-emitting device of claim 6 , wherein the support element comprises a weight ratio of the one or more of glass particles, silica particles, silica particles, alumina particles, carbon particles, and mineral particles in a range from 50% to less than 100%.
8 . The light-emitting device of claim 6 , wherein the support element forms at least one of a filled resin and a build-up film.
9 . The light-emitting device of claim 8 , wherein the support element comprises a multiple layer structure.
10 . The light-emitting device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials is arranged only within exterior layers of the support element.
11 . The light-emitting device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials is arranged only within an interior layer of the support element.
12 . The light-emitting device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials comprises the fiber reinforced material and a particle reinforced material, wherein at least one layer of the multiple layer structure comprises the fiber reinforced material and another layer of the multiple layer structure comprises the particle reinforced material.
13 . A light-emitting device comprising:
at least one light-emitting diode (LED) chip;
a support element configured to be light-transmissive such that the support element is configured to transmit at least 50% of wavelengths of light generated by the at least one LED chip, the at least one LED chip being mounted on a mounting face of the support element that is opposite an emission face of the support element so that a majority of light from the at least one LED chip is configured to exit the support element through the emission face;
a laminate film on the support element and laterally surrounding the at least one LED chip on the mounting face, the laminate film comprising a plurality of first reinforcement materials embedded in a first binder material;
wherein the first reinforcement materials comprises fibers that include one or more of glass fibers, carbon fibers, and mineral fibers; and
first and second device contact pads electrically coupled to the at least one LED chip, the first and second device contact pads forming mounting locations for receiving external electrical connections, the at least one LED chip being arranged between the support element and the first and second device contact pads; and
a metal pad arranged between the laminate film and the first device contact pad.
14 . The light-emitting device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one LED chip resides within a cavity formed by the support element and the laminate film.
15 . The light-emitting device of claim 14 , further comprising an encapsulant that resides within the cavity.
16 . The light-emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the encapsulant comprises a light-absorbing material.
17 . The light-emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the encapsulant comprises a light-reflecting material.
18 . The light-emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second device contact pads are electrically coupled to the at least one LED chip by at least one electrically conductive path that extends through the encapsulant.
19 . The light-emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second device contact pads are arranged to laterally extend on both the encapsulant and the laminate film.
20 . The light-emitting device of claim 13 , wherein the support element comprises a plurality of second reinforcement materials embedded in a second binder material, wherein the plurality of second reinforcement materials comprises a same material as the plurality of first reinforcement materials.
21 . The light-emitting device of claim 13 , wherein the support element comprises a plurality of second reinforcement materials embedded in a second binder material, wherein the plurality of second reinforcement materials comprises a different material from the plurality of first reinforcement materials.
22 . The light-emitting device of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one LED chip is one of a plurality of LED chips; and
a portion of the laminate film is arranged on the support element in a location that is between neighboring pairs of LED chips of the plurality of LED chips.
23 . The light-emitting device of claim 13 , wherein the first and second device contact pads are electrically coupled to the at least one LED chip by at least one electrically conductive path that extends through the laminate film.
24 . A method comprising:
attaching at least one light-emitting diode (LED) chip on a mounting face of a support element that is opposite an emission face of the support element, the support element being configured to be light-transmissive such that the support element is configured to transmit at least 50% of wavelengths of light generated by the at least one LED chip so that a majority of light from the at least one LED chip is configured to exit the support element through the emission face;
forming a laminate film on the support element and laterally surrounding the at least one LED chip on the mounting face, the laminate film comprising a plurality of reinforcement materials embedded in a first binder material;
wherein the plurality of reinforcement materials comprises fibers that include one or more of glass fibers, carbon fibers, and mineral fibers; and
forming first and second device contact pads electrically coupled to the at least one LED chip, the first and second device contact pads forming mounting locations for receiving external electrical connections, the at least one LED chip being arranged between the support element and the first and second device contact pads; and
forming a metal pad between the laminate film and the first device contact pad.
25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising forming an opening in the laminate film, the opening forming a cavity with the support element such that at least one LED chip resides within the cavity.
26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
forming one or more electrically conductive paths on the at least one LED chip;
providing an encapsulant within the cavity such that the encapsulant laterally surrounds the at least one LED chip within the cavity; and
planarizing the encapsulant to expose portions of the one or more electrically conductive paths.
27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein forming the laminate film comprises conformally applying the laminate film on the at least one LED chip and along sidewalls of the at least one LED chip.
28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
forming one or more electrically conductive paths on the at least one LED chip before forming the laminate film; and
planarizing the laminate film to expose portions of the one or more electrically conductive paths.