Method for fabricating a light source that includes phosphor-converted LED
View Patent ↗A light source and method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The light source includes a die, a light conversion component, and a scattering ring. The die emits light of a first wavelength through a top surface of the die and one or more side surfaces of the die, and is bonded to a mounting substrate. The light conversion component converts light of the first wavelength to light of a second wavelength, the light conversion component having a bottom surface bonded to the top surface of the die. The light conversion component has lateral dimensions such that a space exists around the die, the space being bounded by the substrate and the light conversion component. The scattering ring is positioned in the space such that a portion of the light emitted from the side surfaces of the die is scattered into the light conversion component.
1. A method for fabricating a light source, said method comprising:
mounting a plurality of dies that emit light of a first wavelength through a top surface of said die and one or more side surfaces of said die, said die being bonded to a surface of a mounting substrate;
providing a sheet of light conversion components, each light conversion component comprising a layer of luminescent material that converts light of said first wavelength to light of a second wavelength, each light conversion component corresponding to one of said dies and being aligned with that die such that a bottom surface of that light conversion component is positioned over said top surface of that die;
bonding said sheet of light conversion components to said top surfaces of said die, wherein each light conversion component has lateral dimensions chosen such that a space exists around said corresponding die, said space being bounded by said substrate and said corresponding light conversion component; and
generating a scattering ring surrounding said side surfaces of each die and being positioned in said space around said die such that a portion of said light emitted from said side surfaces of that die is scattered into said light conversion component corresponding to that die by said scattering ring.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said scattering rings comprise a transparent material having scattering particles suspended therein.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said transparent material has a liquid precursor that wets said bottom surface of said light conversion component and a surface of said substrate, said scattering rings being generated by suspending said scattering particles in said liquid precursor to form a liquid ring precursor, introducing said liquid ring precursor into said spaces around said dies, and curing said liquid precursor.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said liquid ring precursor is drawn into said spaces by capillary action.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing said sheet of light conversion components comprises attaching individual light conversion components to a carrier.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing said sheet of light conversion components comprises generating a patterned phosphor layer on a carrier.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said phosphor layer comprises a liquid precursor material containing said phosphor and said patterned phosphor layer is generated by printing said liquid precursor material onto said carrier.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising molding a layer of transparent material over said mounting substrate to provide optical components having a non-planar surface corresponding to each die.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein one of said optical components contains a plurality of said dies.