(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0268461 A1 Deak Et Al
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US 20090268461A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0268461 A1 Deak et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 29, 2009 (54) PHOTON ENERGY CONVERSION Publication Classification STRUCTURE (51) Int. Cl. (76) Inventors: David G. Deak, Brooklyn, NY F2IV 7/00 (2006.01) (US); Joseph Lam, Chai Wan (HK) HOIL 33/00 (2006.01) s s HOI. I./62 (2006.01) Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. ... 362/247; 257/98; 313/503; 257/E33.001 LUCAS & MERCANTI, LLP (57) ABSTRACT 475 PARKAVENUE SOUTH, 15TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10016 (US) A photon energy conversion device uses at least one ultravio let light emitting diode (UV-LED) with a wavelength shifting (21) Appl. No.: 12/150,528 medium Such as phosphor or quantum dots. The device can be used as a light source, and shaped like incandescent light (22) Filed: Apr. 28, 2008 bulbs, fluorescent tubes, circles or compact fluorescent bulbs. LED CHP ACTIVE PART: LIGHT Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 1 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 High energy efficient phosphor uniform coating throghout the Gaussian inner surface of the bulb housing Mirror reflector surrounding the UW-LEDs. - Ultraviolet AC-to-DC light emitting diodes. voltage down converter. Circuit disk for mounting Connexion to UV-LEDs. bulb base Bulb base. Base hollow region for circuitry. (entre connecion Figure 1 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 2 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Current limiting device Solder pad connected to + termia of power supply (DC) JV-I.EDS A - tal / Solder pad connected to - terminal of power supply Figure 2 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 3 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 :*: 3 xixe: x - it is kxx xy Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 4 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 'Single linear array . : Figure 4 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 5 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 ufi- fifty" "...trivial EDs a ) ))))))))) 3 yry is a 3-ys 3: ), 3 } }); 3 f : . amidwams M-Pater w il-kwarm-wr-ear-a-var r--war prwas . Figures Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 6 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Figure 6 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 7 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Figure 7 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 8 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 *:::::::::::::::::::::::::x: *... 8.33: 3 x: : * l ::::::::3x:::::::::::::::::::m -. *: s 8.3%. 3,383 883 :::: igit & 8 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 9 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 UV-LED Direct Replacement for A Fluorescent Tube i: i support End Support 1 Y Y UV-LED Array Polycarbonate tube with einbedded phosphor compound Figure 9 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 10 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 igure it Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 11 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Figure 11 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 12 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 : 8. Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 13 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 figure 3 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 14 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Figure 14 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 15 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 w Figure 15 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 16 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 stre is Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 17 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 18 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 its are 8 Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 19 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 :::::::::::::::::: igure : Patent Application Publication Oct. 29, 2009 Sheet 20 of 20 US 2009/0268461 A1 ... .: i: Figure it US 2009/0268461 A1 Oct. 29, 2009 PHOTON ENERGY CONVERSION little. The bright spot of light emitted might remain small even STRUCTURE after traveling several hundred feet. The preferential treat ment that a detector gives to Some light wavelengths, over BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION others, can also make some sources appear to be brighter than 0001. The present invention relates to structures using others. As an example, Suppose you used a silicon light detec ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs), one example tor and compared the light from a 100 watt black-light lamp being a highly efficient Solid state lighting source based on that emits invisible ultraviolet light, with a 100 watt tungsten UV-LED and phosphor combinations. Such a structure can bulb. At a distance of a few feet, the silicon detector would provide an UV-LED energy efficient light source for exact indicate a sizable amount of light being emitted from the light replacement of conventional incandescent light bulbs and bulb but would detect very little from the black-light source, fluorescent lighting systems. even though the ultraviolet light could cause skin burns within 0002 Another aspect of the invention is a solar panel minutes. which produces electrical energy in response to incoming 0007. In order to define how much light a source emits you photons. first need to specify what wavelengths you wish to be consid 0003. The invention also provides methods for improving the phosphor coating conversion efficiency in UV-LEDs, ered. You must also assign a certain value to each of the where the fundamental quenching mechanisms for phosphor considered wavelengths, based on the detector being used. In coatings can be determined and quantified. addition, since many light sources launch light in all direc 0004 For more than 100 years incandescent light bulbs tions you must also define the geometry of how the light is to have been using for providing light in homes, businesses and be measured. Perhaps you only want to consider the amount other structures. One recognized problem with incandescent of light that can be detected at Some distance away. The bulbs is that they are a very inefficient light source because wavelengths you may want to consider will depend on the most of the electrical energy applied to the incandescent light instrument used to make the measurements. If the instrument bulb is lost in heat instead of creating light. Not only is this a is the human eye then you need to consider the visible wave waste of energy, but when used in locations where heat is not lengths and you will need to weigh each of the wavelengths desired. Such as in warm environments, additional power is according to the human eye sensitivity curve. If the instru consumed by AC systems to remove the additional heat ment were a silicon detector, then you would use its response resulting in more inefficiencies and waste. CUV. 0005. A standard tungsten incandescent lightbulb emits a 0008. Many different units for light and illumination are very broad spectrum of light. If you took all the light wave being used by various light manufacturers. While all the units lengths into consideration, including all those that were invis are trying to describe how much light a device emits, one will ible to the human eye, the lightbulb's electrical power to light power conversion efficiency would approach 100%. How see units such as candle power, foot candles, candelas, foot ever, much of the light emitted from such a source takes the lamberts, lux, lumens and my favorite: watts per steradian. form of long infrared heat wavelengths. Although still con Some units refer to the energy of the light source and others to sidered light, heat wavelengths fall well outside the response the power. Many units take only the human eye sensitivity curve of both our human eye and a silicon detector. If you only into account. The light units can be even more confusing considered the visible portion of the spectrum, the lightbulb's when you consider that some light sources, such as a common efficiency would only be about 10%. But, to a detector that lightbulb, launch light in all directions while others, such as was sensitive to heat wavelengths, the bulb's efficiency would a laser, concentrate the light into narrow beams. appear to be closer to 90%. This takes us to one of the most 0009 Let's just assume that each light source has a dis confusing areas of Science, which is how one defines the tinctive emission spectrum and a certain emission geometry. brightness or intensity of a light Source. One will have to treat each light source differently, according 0006. It isn't enough to say that a standard 100 watt bulb to how it is used with a specific communications system. In emits more light than a tiny 1 watt bulb. Sure, if one would optical communications you only need to consider the light place a big 100 watt bulb next to a small 1 watt flashlightbulb. that is sent in the direction of the detector. One also only need the 100 watt bulb would appear to emit more light. But there to consider the light that falls within the response curve of the are many factors to consider when defining the brightness of detector you use. One should regard all the rest of the light as a light source. Some factors refer to the nature of the emitted lost and useless. Since all the light sources rely on electricity light and others to the nature of the detector being used to to produce light, each source will have an approximate elec measure the light. For some light emitting devices, such as a trical power (watts) to optical power (watts) conversion effi standard tungsten incandescent light bulb, the light is pro ciency, as seen by a silicon detector.