IP Library Granted Patent US 8,941,130
Granted Patent B2
US 8,941,130 · App. 14/058,869 · Granted Jan 27, 2015

Semiconductor light-emitting device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,941,130
App. No.
14/058,869
Granted
Jan 27, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a semiconductor chip having a growth surface that is a nonpolar or semipolar plane, and emitting polarized light; and a reflector having a reflective surface. At least part of light in a plane L 90 is reflected off the reflective surface in a direction of a normal line to the growth surface, and an amount of light reflected off the reflective surface in the plane L 90 in the direction of the normal line is larger than that of light reflected off the reflective surface on a plane L 45 in the direction of the normal line, where the plane L 90 represents a plane including the normal line and oriented at 90° to a polarization direction of the polarized light, and the plane L 45 represents a plane including the normal line, and oriented at 45° to the polarization direction of the polarized light.

Claims (56)

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting chip having a growth surface that is a nonpolar or semipolar plane, and emitting polarized light; and

a reflection member having a plurality of reflective surfaces off which the polarized light is reflected, wherein

at least part of light in a plane L 90 is reflected off the reflective surfaces in a direction of a normal line to the growth surface, and an amount of light reflected off the reflective surfaces in the plane L 90 in the direction of the normal line to the growth surface is larger than an amount of light reflected off the reflective surfaces in a plane L 45 in the direction of the normal line to the growth surface, where the plane L 90 represents a plane including the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip and oriented at an angle of 90° to a polarization direction of the polarized light, and the plane L 45 represents a plane including the normal line, and oriented at an angle of 45° to the polarization direction of the polarized light,

the reflective surfaces are arranged such that a shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan is square, and

an angle θ2 is either not less than 0° and not more than 10° or not less than 80° and not more than 90°, where θ2 represents an angle between a polarization direction of the polarized light and a side of the shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan.

2. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

an arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1z is larger than an arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1y, where the arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1y represents an angle between each of the reflective surfaces and the direction of the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip when viewed in cross section take along the plane L 90 , and the arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1z represents an angle between each of the reflective surfaces and the direction of the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip when viewed in cross section take along the plane L 45 .

3. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein

the arithmetic average inclination angle θ1y is not less than 20° and not more than 40°.

4. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein

the arithmetic average inclination angle θy1 is not less than 25° and not more than 40°.

5. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

corner portions of the shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan have a curved surface, and

a curvature R of the curved surface is less than a length of a shortest side of the semiconductor light emitting chip.

6. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

the semiconductor light emitting chip includes at least two semiconductor light emitting chips, and

the at least two semiconductor light emitting chips are arranged such that directions of polarization of light from the at least two semiconductor light emitting chips are identical.

7. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

the semiconductor light emitting chip includes at least four semiconductor light emitting chips,

the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips are arranged in a matrix such that directions of polarization of light from the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips are identical, and

D2 is less than D1, where D1 represents a distance between adjacent two of the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips arranged in a direction perpendicular to the directions of polarization of the light, and D2 represents a distance between adjacent two of the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips arranged in a direction parallel to the directions of polarization of the light.

8. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 further comprising:

a wavelength conversion member covering the semiconductor light emitting chip.

9. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

a linear reflectivity of each of the reflective surfaces is higher than a diffuse reflectivity of the reflective surface.

10. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

a surface roughness of each of the reflective surfaces is not more than 100 nm.

11. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting chip having a growth surface that is a nonpolar or semipolar plane, and emitting polarized light; and

a reflection member having a plurality of reflective surfaces off which the polarized light is reflected, wherein

at least part of light in a plane L 90 is reflected off the reflective surfaces in a direction of a normal line to the growth surface, and an amount of light reflected off the reflective surfaces in the plane L 90 in the direction of the normal line to the growth surface is larger than an amount of light reflected off the reflective surfaces in a plane L 45 in the direction of the normal line to the growth surface, where the plane L 90 represents a plane including the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip and oriented at an angle of 90° to a polarization direction of the polarized light, and the plane L 45 represents a plane including the normal line, and oriented at an angle of 45° to the polarization direction of the polarized light,

the reflective surfaces are arranged such that a shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan is rectangular, and

an angle θ2 is either not less than 0° and not more than 10° or not less than 85° and not more than 90°, where θ2 represents an angle between a polarization direction of the polarized light and a long side of the shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan.

12. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

an arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1z is larger than an arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1y, where the arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1y represents an angle between each of the reflective surfaces and the direction of the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip when viewed in cross section take along the plane L 90 , and the arithmetic average inclination angle Δθ1z represents an angle between each of the reflective surfaces and the direction of the normal line to the growth surface of the semiconductor light emitting chip when viewed in cross section take along the plane L 45 .

13. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein

the arithmetic average inclination angle θ1y is not less than 20° and not more than 40°.

14. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein

the arithmetic average inclination angle θy1 is not less than 25° and not more than 40°.

15. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

corner portions of the shape formed by the reflective surfaces when viewed in plan have a curved surface, and

a curvature R of the curved surface is less than a length of a shortest side of the semiconductor light emitting chip.

16. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

the semiconductor light emitting chip includes at least two semiconductor light emitting chips, and

the at least two semiconductor light emitting chips are arranged such that directions of polarization of light from the at least two semiconductor light emitting chips are identical.

17. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

the semiconductor light emitting chip includes at least four semiconductor light emitting chips,

the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips are arranged in a matrix such that directions of polarization of light from the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips are identical, and

D2 is less than D1, where D1 represents a distance between adjacent two of the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips arranged in a direction perpendicular to the directions of polarization of the light, and D2 represents a distance between adjacent two of the at least four semiconductor light emitting chips arranged in a direction parallel to the directions of polarization of the light.

18. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 further comprising:

a wavelength conversion member covering the semiconductor light emitting chip.

19. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

a linear reflectivity of each of the reflective surfaces is higher than a diffuse reflectivity of the reflective surface.

20. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein

a surface roughness of each of the reflective surfaces is not more than 100 nm.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED APPLICATION NUMBERS 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 AND 14/301144 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034194 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056788/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2014
From: INOUE, AKIRA; YOKOGAWA, TOSHIYA
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032240/0426 →