Light emitting device having a layer of photonic crystals and a region of diffusing material and method for fabricating the device

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor die that emits light;

a layer of photonic crystals positioned on said semiconductor die; and

a region of diffusing material positioned on said layer of photonic crystals.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising an encapsulant that encapsulates said semiconductor die, said layer of photonic crystals and said region of diffusing material, and wherein said region of diffusing material is a layer of diffusing material over said layer of photonic crystals within said encapsulant.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said region of diffusing material is an encapsulant that encapsulates said semiconductor die and said layer of photonic crystals.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said region of diffusing material includes a material selected from a group consisting of barium titanate, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a photoluminescent material embedded within said layer of photonic crystals.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said layer of photonic crystals includes a structural frame having periodically distributed voids, said photoluminescent material being located within said periodically distributed voids.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said structural frame of said layer of photonic crystals has an index of refraction that is substantially equal to or greater than an index of refraction of an upper layer of said semiconductor die.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor die is a light emitting diode die.

9. A light emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor die that emits light;

a layer of photonic crystals positioned on said semiconductor die; and

a photoluminescent material embedded within said layer of photonic crystals.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said layer of photonic crystals includes a structural frame having periodically distributed voids, said photoluminescent material being located within said periodically distributed voids.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said periodically distributed voids are spherical in shape.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein said structural frame of said layer of photonic crystals has an index of refraction that is substantially equal to or greater than an index of refraction of an upper layer of said semiconductor die.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein said structural frame of said layer of photonic crystals is made of a material selected from a group consisting of an insulator, a semiconductor and a metal.

14. The device of claim 9 further comprising a region of diffusing material positioned on said layer of photonic crystals.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising an encapsulant that encapsulates said semiconductor die, said layer of photonic crystals and said region of diffusing material, and wherein said region of diffusing material is a layer of diffusing material over said layer of photonic crystals within said encapsulant.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said region of diffusing material is an encapsulant that encapsulates said semiconductor die and said layer of photonic crystals.

17. The device of claim 9 wherein said semiconductor die is a light emitting diode die.

18. A method for fabricating a light emitting device, said method comprising:

providing a semiconductor die that emits light; and

forming a layer of photonic crystals on said semiconductor die, including embedding a photoluminescent material within said layer of photonic crystals.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said forming of said layer of photonic crystals includes forming a structural frame having periodically distributed voids, said photoluminescent material being embedded in said periodically distributed voids.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming a layer of diffusing layer on said layer of photonic crystals.