Abstract: An illuminated street sign illuminated by LEDs. A light engine comprising a light engine carrier, at least one LED, a heat sink and optionally a reflector and/or lens system is used to illuminate a street sign. The light engine can be retrofit into existing illuminated street signs after removal of the fluorescent tube, attached to the interior of conventional housings or be integrally formed with the housing of an illuminated sign. A pair of light engines are mounted in the housing at an angle to direct the light to the opposite side panel. Each light engine has a reflector. An additional reflector can be mounted n the base of the housing.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus that is cooled via natural convection includes an electrical component, a vertical heat dissipation surface in thermal communication with the electrical component, and a diverter extending from the heat dissipation surface. The diverter disrupts vertical airflow over the heat dissipation surface.

Abstract: A light emitting apparatus (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) includes one or more light emitting diode chips (12, 112, 212, 312, 412) disposed on a chip support wall (16, 116, 216) including printed circuitry (34, 134, 234, 360, 362, 460, 462) connecting with the light emitting diode chips. A heat pipe (24, 124, 224, 324, 424) has a sealed volume (22, 122, 222, 322, 422) defined by walls including the chip support wall and at least one additional wall (18, 20, 118, 120, 218). The heat pipe further includes a heat transfer fluid (26, 226, 326, 426) disposed in the sealed volume.

Abstract: In a light emitting package fabrication process, a plurality of light emitting chips (10) are attached on a sub-mount wafer (14). The attached light emitting chips (10) are encapsulated. Fracture-initiating trenches (30, 32) are laser cut into the sub-mount wafer (14) between the attached light emitting chips (10) using a laser. The sub-mount wafer (14) is fractured along the fracture initiating trenches (30, 32).

Abstract: A phosphor having the formula Na2(Ln1-y-zCeyTbz)2B2O7, wherein Ln is selected from the group consisting of La, Y, Gd, Lu, Sc and combinations thereof and wherein y=0.01-0.3 and z=0.0-0.3. The phosphor is suitable for use in a white-light emitting device including a UV/blue semiconductor light source having a peak emission from about 250 to about 550 nm and a phosphor blend including a blue emitting phosphor, a red emitting phosphor and a green emitting phosphor having the above described formula.

Abstract: In a chip package (10, 10?, 110, 210), first and second electrical power buses (14, 14?, 16, 16?, 114, 116, 214, 216) are each formed of an electrical conductor having a chip bonding portion (20, 22, 120, 122, 220, 222) and a lead portion (26, 26?, 28, 28?, 126, 128, 226, 228) extending away from the chip bonding portion. The chip bonding portions of the first and second electrical power buses have edges (32, 34, 132, 134, 232, 234) spaced apart from one another to define an extended electrical isolation gap (40, 140, 240). A plurality of chips (42, 44, 46, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 242) straddle the extended electrical isolation gap and are electrically connected with the first and second electrical power buses to receive electrical power from the first and second electrical power buses.

Abstract: A method for separating individual optoelectronic devices, such as LEDs, from a wafer includes directing a laser beam having a width toward a major surface of the semiconductor wafer. The laser beam has an image with a first portion of a first energy per unit width and a second portion of a second energy per unit width less than the first energy. The laser beam image cuts into the first major surface of the semiconductor wafer to produce individual devices.

Abstract: A flip chip light emitting diode (12) includes a light-transmissive substrate (10) with a base semiconducting layer (40) disposed thereupon. A conductive mesh (18) is disposed on the base semiconducting layer (40) and is in electrically conductive contact therewith. Light-emitting micromesas (30) are disposed in openings (20) of the conductive mesh (18). Each light emitting micromesa (30) has a topmost layer (46) of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type. A first conductivity type electrode (14) is disposed on the base semiconducting layer (40) and is in electrical communication with the electrically conductive mesh (18). An insulating layer (60) is disposed over the electrically conductive mesh (18). A second conductivity type electrode layer (24) is disposed over the insulating layer (60) and the light-emitting micromesas (30). the insulating layer (60) insulates the second conductivity type electrode layer (24) from the electrically conductive mesh (18).

Abstract: An LED traffic signal having a single switching power supply placed inside the load switch to supply power to each of the aspect signals. The traffic signal has several aspects, such as red, yellow and green. The load switch comprises a switching power supply to supply power to the signals, an output selection circuit to select the desired aspect, and a conflict monitor interface circuit to mimic an incandescent circuit.

Abstract: A lamp (8, 108, 208) includes a reflector (10, 110, 210) with a plurality of off-axis reflector segments (20, 22, 24, 120a, 120b, 220). Each off-axis reflector segment has a focus at a perimeter (12, 112, 112a, 112b, 212) of the reflector. A plurality of light emitting elements (40, 42, 44, 140a, 140b, 240) are disposed at the foci of the off-axis reflector segments.

Abstract: A method for using LEDs to supplement natural light in a greenhouse and a support structure for attaching LEDs in a greenhouse so that the plants receive substantially even light distribution from the LEDs and minimal natural light is blocked by the lighting system. A narrow attachment rail is used to suspend a strip of LEDs from the frame structure of the greenhouse.

Abstract: A flip-chip LED device (10) includes a plurality of group III-nitride semiconductor layers (22) defining a p/n junction and including a top p-type group III-nitride layer (28), and a p-contact (30, 30?, 30?) for flip-chip bonding the top p-type group III-nitride layer. The p-contact includes an aluminum layer (32) disposed on the top p-type group III-nitride layer (28), and an interface layer (40, 66, 72, 80) disposed between the aluminum layer and the top p-type group III-nitride layer. The interface layer reduces a contact resistance between the aluminum layer (32) and the top p-type group III-nitride layer (28). The interface layer comprises one or more group III-nitride layers.

Abstract: A light-emitting microelectronic package includes a light-emitting diode (110) having a first region (114) of a first conductivity type, a second region (116) of a second conductivity type, and a light-emitting p-n junction (118) between the first and second regions. The light-emitting diode defines a lower contact surface (120) and a mesa (122) projecting upwardly from the lower contact surface. The first region (114) of a first conductivity type is disposed in the mesa (122) and defines a top surface of the mesa, and the second region (116) of a second conductivity type defines the lower contact surface that substantially surrounds the mesa (122). The mesa includes at least one sidewall (130) extending between the top surface (124) of the mesa and the lower contact surface (120), the at least one sidewall (130) having a roughened surface for optimizing light extraction from the package.

Abstract: A border lighting strip (10) includes an electrical cable (14) having a plurality of electrical conductors (14A, 14B). A plurality of light emitting devices (LEDs) (12) arranged alongside the electrical cable (14) and electrically connected (12A, 12B) thereto. An essentially hollow extruded sheath (16) of translucent or transparent material is adapted to receive the LEDs (12). The sheath (16) also includes an integrally formed cylindrical lens (18) arranged to optically cooperate with the LEDs (12). A method (200)for manufacturing a lighting strip includes electrically connecting (202, 204, 206, 208) a plurality of light emitting devices to an electrical cable to form a linear light source (214), extruding (216) a transparent or translucent sheath adapted to receive the linear light source (214), and inserting (218) the linear light source into the extruded sheath to form the border lighting strip (220).

Abstract: A total internal reflection element having a plurality of total internal reflection faces and a plurality of exit faces which redirect light from a light source into a side direction. The total internal reflection element is manufactured by injection molding. The curved entry faces have the optical effect of concentrating incident light onto a center of the corresponding total internal reflection face. This allows light impinging on the total internal reflection face from a wider range of angles to be redirected for side projection through the desired exit face. The total internal reflection element is used in a signal. The signal has a housing and can be placed at a variety of heights.

Abstract: A color display device (210, 310, 410) includes a backlight (214, 414) that cyclically emits first, second, and third component color backlighting in turn over a cycle period. The cycle period repeats at a cycling frequency (f) that exceeds a maximum human visual response frequency. A liquid crystal display (LCD) (112, 312, 412) generates a first display during the first component color backlighting, a second display during the second component color backlighting, and a third display during the third component color backlighting.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus (10) includes a wave guide (14) formed from a translucent material. The wave guide has a top surface (30), a bottom surface (32) that has a pre-defined curvature, and at least one side surface (34) that receives light (40) injected therein. A plurality of microstructures (36) is arranged on selected areas of the bottom surface (32) of the wave guide (14). The plurality of microstructures (36) cooperates with the pre-defined curvature of the bottom surface (32) to scatter at least a portion of the light (40) injected into the at least one side surface (34). The scattered light (42) exits the wave guide (14) through the top surface (30). At least one light emitting diode (16) injects light (40) into the at least one side surface (34) of the wave guide (14). The scattered light (42) that exits the wave guide (14) forms at least one symbol viewable by an associated observer.

Abstract: Surface mount light emitting diode (LED) packages each contain a light emitting diode (LED) die (24). A plurality of arrays of openings are drilled into an electrically insulating sub-mount wafer (10). A metal is applied to the drilled openings to produce a plurality of via arrays (12). The LED dice (24) are flip-chip bonded onto a frontside (16) of the sub-mount wafer (10). The p-type and n-type contacts of each flip-chip bonded LED (24) electrically communicate with a solderable backside (18) of the sub-mount wafer (10) through a via array (12). A thermal conduction path (10, 12) is provided for thermally conducting heat from the flip-chip bonded LED dice (24) to the solderable backside (18) of the sub-mount wafer (10). Subsequent to the flip-chip bonding, the sub-mount wafer (10) is separated to produce the surface mount LED packages.

Abstract: A LED symbol signal with LEDs arrayed to correspond to a desired symbol. A mask defines the desired symbol. A diffusion surface on the cover diffuses the display aspect, obscuring the individual LEDs. The mask is spaced a distance from the diffusing surface. The more aggressive the diffusion pattern the closer the mask is spaced to the diffusion pattern. Preferably, the ratio of the pitch of the optical elements to the width of the symbol at the diffusion surface is less than 1:2, preferably less than 1:4, more preferably less than 1:6 and most preferably approximately 1:10.

Abstract: A light source (10) includes a light emitting semiconductor device (12). A support substrate (14) has a generally planar reflective surface (28) that supports the semiconductor device (12). The light emitting semiconductor device heat sinks via the support substrate. A curved reflector (16) has a concave parabolic reflective surface. The light emitting semiconductor device (12) is arranged between the support substrate (14) and the curved reflector (16). The support substrate (14) and the curved reflector (16) together define a light aperture (18) through which light produced by the light emitting semiconductor device (12) passes.