IP Library Granted Patent US 9,293,629
Granted Patent B2
US 9,293,629 · App. 14/007,098 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Optoelectronic component and method for operating an optoelectronic component

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,293,629
App. No.
14/007,098
Granted
Mar 22, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optoelectronic component includes a carrier on which at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip and one first light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip, at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip and one second light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chips are arranged on the carrier such that light from each light-emitting semiconductor chip falls on at least one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips not connected to the respective light-emitting semiconductor chip, and the light-absorbing semiconductor chips are formed as protection diodes.

Claims (38)

1. An optoelectronic component comprising:

a carrier on which at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip and one first light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip, at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip and one second light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip,

wherein the semiconductor chips are arranged on the carrier such that light from each light-emitting semiconductor chip falls on at least one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips not connected to the respective light-emitting semiconductor chip, and

the light-absorbing semiconductor chips are formed as protection diodes.

2. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips is a silicon diode or a GaAs diode.

3. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , which has a control apparatus designed

to operate, in a first measurement step, the first light-emitting semiconductor chip with a measurement current and measure a first photocurrent of one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips not connected to the first light-emitting semiconductor chip, and

to operate, in a second measurement step, the second light-emitting semiconductor chip with a measurement current and measure a second photocurrent in one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips not connected to the second light-emitting semiconductor chip.

4. The optoelectronic component according to claim 3 , wherein the control apparatus compares the first and second photocurrents with stored nominal values, and uses a respective difference between the first and second photocurrents the stored nominal value to determine a nominal value of a first and a second operating current to operate the light-emitting semiconductor chips.

5. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier has a housing with a depression in which the semiconductor chips are arranged.

6. The optoelectronic component according to claim 5 , wherein the depression is designed to be reflective.

7. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one third light-emitting semiconductor chip with a third semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one third light-emitting semiconductor chip and formed as a protection diode, is arranged on the carrier.

8. The optoelectronic component according to claim 7 , wherein, during operation, light from the third light-emitting semiconductor chip falls at least on the first or second light-absorbing semiconductor chip.

9. The optoelectronic component according to claim 7 , wherein the third semiconductor chip formed as a protection diode is light-absorbing.

10. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the light-emitting semiconductor chips has a wavelength conversion element which converts at least a portion of primary light, which is emitted by the light-emitting semiconductor chip, to secondary light which is different therefrom.

11. The optoelectronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting semiconductor chips emit different light from one another.

12. A method of operating an optoelectronic component comprising:

a carrier on which at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip and one first light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip, at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip and one second light-absorbing semiconductor chip, which is connected antiparallel to the at least one second light-emitting semiconductor chip,

wherein the semiconductor chips are arranged on the carrier such that light from each light-emitting semiconductor chip falls on at least one of the light-absorbing semiconductor chips not connected to the respective light-emitting semiconductor chip, and

the light-absorbing semiconductor chips are formed as protection diodes, the method comprising:

in a first measurement step, the first light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated with a measurement current and a first photocurrent of a light-absorbing semiconductor chip is measured, on which light from the first light-emitting semiconductor chip falls and which is not connected to the first light-emitting semiconductor chip,

in a second measurement step, the second light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated with a measurement current and a second photocurrent of a light-absorbing semiconductor chip is measured, on which light from the second light-emitting semiconductor chip falls and which is not connected to the second light-emitting semiconductor chip,

a first operating current is determined from a difference between the first photocurrent and a first nominal value,

a second operating current is determined from a difference between the second photocurrent and a second nominal value, and

the first light-emitting semiconductor chip is then operated with the first operating current, and the second light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated with the second operating current.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the first measurement step the first photocurrent is produced by the second light-absorbing semiconductor chip,

in the second measurement step the second photocurrent is produced by the first light-absorbing semiconductor chip,

in the optoelectronic component a third light-emitting semiconductor chip is provided, with a third semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the third light-emitting semiconductor chip and formed as a protection diode,

in a third measurement step the third light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated with a measurement current to produce light which falls on the second light-absorbing semiconductor chip which produces a third photocurrent, and

in addition to the first and second operating currents, a third operating current for operating the third light-emitting semiconductor chip is determined from a difference between the third photocurrent and a third nominal value.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the first measurement step, the first photocurrent is produced by the second light-absorbing semiconductor chip,

in the optoelectronic component a third light-emitting semiconductor chip is provided with a third light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the third light-absorbing semiconductor chip and formed as a protection diode,

in the second measurement step, the second photocurrent is produced by the third light-absorbing semiconductor chip,

in a third measurement step, the third light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated with a measurement current to produce light which falls on the first light-absorbing semiconductor chip, which produces a third photocurrent, and

in addition to the first and second operating currents, a third operating current to operate the third light-emitting semiconductor chip is determined from a difference between the third photocurrent and a third nominal value.

15. A method of operating an optoelectronic component having a carrier on which at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip and one first light-absorbing semiconductor chip connected antiparallel to the at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip, are arranged, in which the first light-absorbing semiconductor chip is formed as an environmental-light sensor and as a protection diode, which produces a photocurrent by environmental light which falls on the optoelectronic component, and in which the at least one first light-emitting semiconductor chip is operated when a minimum value for the photocurrent is undershot.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2020
From: OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH
To: OSRAM OLED GMBH
Reel/Frame 051467/0906 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2013
From: WICKE, MARKUS
To: OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH
Reel/Frame 031431/0729 →