Abstract: An LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). The ICM includes interconnect through which power from outside the assembly is received. In a first novel aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. In one example, the circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. In a second novel aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third novel aspect, the ICM includes a switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.

Abstract: A LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). In a first aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. The circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. A thermal insulator is disposed between the ICM and a heat sink outside the lateral boundary of the LAM. In a second aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third aspect, the ICM includes a built-in switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.

Abstract: An LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). The ICM includes interconnect through which power from outside the assembly is received. In a first novel aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. In one example, the circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. In a second novel aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third novel aspect, the ICM includes a switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.

Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) device includes first and second LED dies with the same structure and that are both encapsulated by the same silicone layer. The first LED is supplied with sufficient drive current to illuminate the LED. Control circuitry supplies the second LED with a constant current, determines the voltage across the second LED, and calculates the temperature of the second LED based on the voltage across the second LED. The constant current has a maximum magnitude that never exceeds the maximum magnitude of the drive current. The LED device is able to calculate the temperature of a diode with a gallium-nitride layer (GaN or GaInN) that is receiving a large drive current and emitting blue light by determining the voltage across an adjacent similar diode with a gallium-nitride layer through which a small constant current is flowing. Preferably, the band gap of the LEDs exceeds two electron volts.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: Standardized photon building blocks are packaged in molded interconnect structures to form a variety of LED array products. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate upon which LED dies are mounted. Microdots of highly reflective material are jetted onto the top surface. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors in the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dies in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. Compression molding is used to form lenses over the LED dies and leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the landing pads. The flash layer laterally above the landing pads is removed by blasting particles at the flash layer.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: Standardized photon building blocks are packaged in molded interconnect structures to form a variety of LED array products. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate upon which LED dies are mounted. Microdots of highly reflective material are jetted onto the top surface. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors in the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dies in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. Compression molding is used to form lenses over the LED dies and leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the landing pads. The flash layer laterally above the landing pads is removed by blasting particles at the flash layer.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: An LED device with improved angular color performance has a silicone lens shaped as a portion of a sphere. The lens is molded over an array of LED dies disposed on the upper surface of a substrate. Phosphor particles are disbursed throughout the material used to mold the lens. The distance between farthest apart edges of the LED dies is more than half of the length that the lens extends over the surface of the substrate. The distance from the top of the lens dome to the surface of the substrate is between 57% and 73% of the radius of the sphere. Shaping the lens as the top two thirds of a hemisphere reduces the non-uniformity in the emitted color such that neither of the CIE color coordinates x or y of the color changes more than 0.004 over all emission angles relative to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: A layer of Highly Reflective (HR) material is deposited by jetting microdots of the HR material in liquid form onto a substrate and then allowing the HR material to harden. In one example, the HR layer is the HR layer of a white LED assembly. The HR layer is jetted onto the substrate around LED dice of the assembly after die attach and wire bonding have been completed. The HR material can be made to flow laterally so that areas of the substrate under wire bonds are coated with HR material, so that HR material contacts side edges of the LED dice, and so that HR material contacts the inside side edge of a retaining ring. By jetting the HR material in this way, the amount of substrate that is not covered with HR material is reduced, thereby improving the light efficiency of the resulting LED assembly.

Abstract: Standardized photon building blocks are used to make both discrete light emitters as well as array products. Each photon building block has one or more LED chips mounted on a substrate. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The photon building blocks are supported by an interconnect structure that is attached to a heat sink. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate of each photon building block are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors on the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dice in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. The bottom surface of the interconnect structure is coplanar with the bottom surfaces of the substrates of the photon building blocks.

Abstract: Standardized photon building blocks are packaged in molded interconnect structures to form a variety of LED array products. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate upon which LED dies are mounted. Microdots of highly reflective material are jetted onto the top surface. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors in the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dies in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. Compression molding is used to form lenses over the LED dies and leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the landing pads. The flash layer laterally above the landing pads is removed by blasting particles at the flash layer.

Abstract: Standardized photon building blocks are used to make both discrete light emitters as well as array products. Each photon building block has one or more LED chips mounted on a substrate. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The photon building blocks are supported by an interconnect structure that is attached to a heat sink. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate of each photon building block are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors on the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dice in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. The bottom surface of the interconnect structure is coplanar with the bottom surfaces of the substrates of the photon building blocks.

Abstract: A light source includes LED dies that are flip-chip mounted on a flexible plastic substrate. The LED dies are attached to the substrate using an asymmetric conductor material with deformable conducting particles sandwiched between surface mount contacts on the LED dies and traces on the substrate. A diffusively reflective material containing light scattering particles is used instead of expensive reflective cups to reflect light upwards that is emitted sideways from the LED dies. The diffusively reflective material is dispensed over the top surface of the substrate and contacts the side surfaces of the dies. The light scattering particles are spheres of titanium dioxide suspended in silicone. The light source is manufactured in a reel-to-reel process in which the asymmetric conductor material and the diffusively reflective material are cured simultaneously. A silicone layer of molded lenses including phosphor particles is also added over the mounted LED dies in the reel-to-reel process.

Abstract: A device includes a light emitting semiconductor device bonded to an optical element. In some embodiments, the optical element may be elongated or shaped to direct a portion of light emitted by the active region in a direction substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the semiconductor light emitting device and the optical element. In some embodiments, the semiconductor light emitting device and optical element are positioned in a reflector or adjacent to a light guide. The optical element may be bonded to the first semiconductor light emitting device by a bond at an interface disposed between the optical element and the semiconductor light emitting device. In some embodiments, the bond is substantially free of organic-based adhesives.

Abstract: A lamp has LED sources that are placed about a lamp axis in an axial arrangement. The lamp includes a post with post facets where the LED sources are mounted. The lamp includes a segmented reflector for guiding light from the LED sources. The segmented reflector includes reflective segments each of which is illuminated primarily by light from one of the post facets (e.g., one of the LED sources on the post facet). The LED sources may be made up of one or more LED dies. The LED dies may include optic-on-chip lenses to direct the light from each post facet to a corresponding reflective segment. The LED dies may be of different sizes and colors chosen to generate a particular far-field pattern.