Abstract: A high etching selective layer and a light emitting structure are formed subsequently on a semiconductor substrate. Then, a p-type Ohmic contact layer and a metal substrate are formed subsequently on the light emitting structure. The semiconductor substrate and the high etching selective layer are removed. Next, an n-type electrode and a transparent conductive layer are formed adjacent to surface of the light emitting structure opposite to the metal layer.

Abstract: LED structure can be packaged by using flip-chip package. An LED structure is covered by a conduction enhancing layer. A bumping area definition layer is then formed on the conduction enhancing layer to expose bumping area portions with p-pad and n-pad underneath, and a bumping pad is then formed over the bumping area portions. The bumping area definition layer and then exposed conduction enhancing layer is removed subsequently.

Abstract: An instant-start ballast for a multiple gas discharge lamp fixture has a single half-bridge inverter that is used to drive at least two series resonant output circuits. Each series resonant output circuit is used to drive two gas discharge lamps. A single output voltage limiting circuit is provided with a microprocessor that monitors the combined output voltages of the series resonant output circuits and uses a single voltage limiting transistor to control the output voltages of the circuits. A capacitor is associated with each gas discharge lamp socket in the fixture such that a voltage across the capacitor indicates that a lamp has been installed in the socket associated with the capacitor. The ignition sequence will only be initiated if the capacitor voltages indicate that a lamp has been installed in each socket of a fixture.

Abstract: A method of generating an electrical discharge in a high pressure gas contained in a sealed enclosure. The method includes driving a helical coil resonator at an RF frequency to generate an RF electric-magnetic field sufficient to generate an electrical discharge in the high pressure gas. The electrical discharge produces an emission spectrum that may be spectroscopically analyzed to determine the composition and impurity content of the gas.

Abstract: An electronic ballast has a resonant tank circuit that includes a tank inductor and a tank capacitor connected in series. Lossless sampling of the output voltage of the electronic ballast is achieved by monitoring the voltage across a sampling capacitor placed in series with the tank capacitor. A resistive and capacitive filter is used to filter the monitored voltage such that it can be accurately received by a microcontroller. A resistor is connected in series with the sampling capacitor to produce an open circuit output voltage control signal that is used by the microcontroller to limit the open circuit output voltage. A cable compensation circuit is utilized to minimize variations in the open circuit voltage due to the connecting and disconnecting of a cable to the ballast output terminals.

Abstract: An improved high input voltage instant start electronic ballast uses a substantially lossless snubber circuit. The substantially lossless snubber circuit is incorporated into the ballast to reduce turn off losses and increase the efficiency of the ballast. The snubber circuit includes two capacitors connected in parallel with respect to the two switching transistors or FETS in the inverter of the ballast. A series-resonant lamp voltage sensing circuit is also provided that uses a voltage dividing capacitor to accomplish lossless monitoring of the open circuit voltage of the ballast. A cable compensation circuit minimizes variations in the open circuit voltage due to the connecting and disconnecting of a cable to the ballast by limiting the turn on times of the transistors during high voltage conditions.

Abstract: An electronic ballast uses a voltage sampling circuit and a voltage control circuit to limit the open circuit voltage of the ballast. A lamp voltage sensing circuit is provided that uses a voltage dividing capacitor to accomplish lossless monitoring of the open circuit voltage of the ballast. A resistor placed in series with the sampling capacitor is used to create a voltage that turns a control transistor off and on. The control transistor produces a gating signal trimming signal that a half bridge driver uses to alter the gating signals provided to the inverter transistors of the ballast. A cable compensation circuit is included that minimizes variations in the open circuit voltage due to the connecting and disconnecting of a cable to the ballast by turning the control transistor off and on.

Abstract: The present invention includes barrier coatings and methods for reducing or preventing chemical reaction between the discharge medium and arc tube wall material in discharge lamps. The barrier coatings comprise nitride layer exposed to the discharge medium formed from one or more of aluminum, boron, scandium, yttrium, or the lanthanides. In another aspect, the present invention includes methods of forming coatings on the inner wall of arc tubes by introducing two or more precursors into the arc tube chamber and pyrolitically reacting the precursors to form layers for the coating.

Abstract: An LED light source drive includes an LED current generating circuit and an LED drive controller. The current generating circuit is operable to receive power from a power source and to generate a dc current that can be used to the drive an LED light source. The drive controller is operable to control the dc current to ensure that the light output of the light source remains approximately constant over its operating lifetime. In one embodiment, the drive controller ensures that the effective light output of the light source remains approximately constant by automatically increasing the dc current in predetermined amounts at predetermined times. In an alternative embodiment, the drive controller includes an LED light sensor that is operable to generate a light signal indicative of the effective light output of the light source and the controller uses this light signal to control the dc current output.

Abstract: An electronic ballast having end of lamp life and overheating protection, and automatic reignition and multiple striking capabilities includes AC/DC rectifier, PFC/boost, inverter, and ballast protection and control circuits. The ballast protection and control circuit is operable to place the ballast in a protected state when the lamp load connected to the ballast reaches an end of lamp life condition or the ballast overheats. The ballast protection and control circuit also automatically ignites the lamp load when it is connected to the ballast and generates multiple striking attempts for hard to strike lamp loads. The ballast may be connected to AC or DC power sources and different types of lamp loads, and may include various different types of inverter circuits.

Abstract: A safety device for preventing accidental contact with the live blades of an electrical plug during inserting or removal of the plug from a wall socket and a method for attaching the safety device to an electrical plug. The safety device includes a housing with a shield and a connector for connecting the housing to the front face of the electrical plug. The housing has a rear wall formed with apertures for receiving the blades of the plug and a channel for receiving the shield. The shield extends outwardly from the rear wall of the housing and surrounds the blades of the plug when the safety device is attached to the plug. The safety device is connected to the plug by a friction or by an adhesive. The shield collapses toward the rear wall of the housing when the plug is inserted into a wall socket and re-expands to its original position when the plug is withdrawn from the wall socket. The safety device may be attached to any complementary shaped two bladed electrical plug or to a grounded electrical plug.

Abstract: An ultraviolet water treatment system comprising a water chamber having a water intake for untreated water to enter the chamber, and a water outlet for water to leave the chamber; an ultraviolet light source; and a fibre optic rod having a distributing end and a receiving end, the receiving end is located to receive the focused ultraviolet light from the light source and convey the light through the rod and out the distributing end into the chamber to treat the water.

Abstract: A semiconductor device using an electrically conductive substrate that has a metal connection includes an n-type/p-type electrically conductive substrate and one buffer layer formed on the n-type/p-type electrically conductive substrate. An electrically conductive semiconductor layer is formed on the buffer layer, and the metal connection is formed between the electrically conductive semiconductor layer and the electrically conductive substrate, wherein the electrically conductive semiconductor layer is an n-type/p-type nitride.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a light-emitting element includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode has a plurality of first fingers paralleling with each other, a first connective part, and at least a first contact part. Each first finger has a first end and a second end. Pluralities of first ends connect to the first connective part. The first contact part interposes between any first end and the first connective part. The second electrode has a plurality of second fingers paralleling with each other, a second connective part, and at least a second contact part. Each second finger has a third end and a fourth end, and any second finger is between and parallels to any two first fingers. Pluralities of third ends connect to the second connective part. The second contact part interposes between any third end and the second connective part. The second electrode defines a plurality of hexagonal units among a plurality of second ends.

Abstract: An illumination device for simulating neon lighting comprising a plurality of spaced point light sources positioned adjacent a lateral light receiving surface of a substantially rod-like waveguide made of a material that preferentially scatters light entering the light receiving surface such that the light intensity pattern exiting a lateral light emitting surface of the waveguide has a substantially uniform light intensity pattern.

Abstract: A safety device for preventing accidental contact of a user's fingers with the live blades of an electrical plug during inserting or removal of the plug from a wall socket and a method for attaching the safety device to an electrical plug. The safety device includes a housing with a collapsible shield and a connector for connecting the housing to the front end of the electrical plug. The shield extends outwardly from the front end of the housing and surrounds the blades when the safety device is attached to the plug. The connector comprises a pair of opposing detents that extend outwardly away from the rear wall of the housing. The detents flex to allow the front end of the plug to pass between them but do not allow the front end of the plug to be withdrawn therethrough. The shield collapses toward the front end of the housing when the plug is inserted into a wall socket and re-expands to its original position when the plug is withdrawn from the wall socket.

Abstract: A solid mercury-releasing material and a method of dispensing precise amounts of mercury into the light emitting chamber of a discharge lamp without introducing the other dispenser components into the chamber are disclosed. The solid material includes an amalgam of one or more metals and mercury in the form of particles of high purity, uniform size and uniform composition.

Abstract: A directional night light has a front face and a rear face, a source of illumination within the interior of said housing, and an adjustment actuator such as a wheel. At least a portion of the front face is translucent. The light source may be an incandescent bulb, an LED lamp, an LED panel, an electroluminescent panel, an OLED panel, and combinations thereof. The light source is mounted within the housing so as to be rotatable about an axis through an arc of 30° to 150° by actuation of the adjustment actuator, which has a portion extending forwardly beyond the front face. In another embodiment, a directional night light has a bezel mounted front face with a louvered element behind the front face through which light will pass and be directed at an angle away from the front face.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for achieving desired spectral emission characteristics in plasma lamps is disclosed. The apparatus and method use multi-layer thin film optical interference coatings to selectively reflect a portion of the light such that it can be absorbed in the plasma. The multi-layer thin film coating is applied to any surface of the lamp, which substantially surrounds the plasma. The number and thickness of the layers in the coating are selected to ensure that a significant portion of the selected light emitted from the plasma is reflected by the coating and absorbed by the plasma. The properties of the coating, reflectance, transmittance and absorption are determined as a function of plasma and lamp characteristics.

Abstract: A transparent layer of a LED device and the method for growing the same are disclosed in this present invention. This present invention provides an improved liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) process for growing a transparent layer of a LED device. In the above-mentioned LPE process, an improved supersaturated solution is utilized to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art, wherein the supersaturated solution comprises antimony and/or indium as a solvent. Furthermore, a metallic zinc and/or magnesium dopant is added into the supersaturated solution to optimize the characters of the transparent layer. Therefore, this invention can provide a more efficient method for growing a transparent layer of a LED device, and the quality of the above-mentioned transparent layer can thereby be improved.