GB1593999A - Light emitting diode element and character display - Google Patents

Light emitting diode element and character display Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1593999A
GB1593999A GB5178477A GB5178477A GB1593999A GB 1593999 A GB1593999 A GB 1593999A GB 5178477 A GB5178477 A GB 5178477A GB 5178477 A GB5178477 A GB 5178477A GB 1593999 A GB1593999 A GB 1593999A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
diode
openings
led array
display
diode element
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Expired
Application number
GB5178477A
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Texas Instruments Inc
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Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US05/752,389 external-priority patent/US4126812A/en
Application filed by Texas Instruments Inc filed Critical Texas Instruments Inc
Publication of GB1593999A publication Critical patent/GB1593999A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L33/00Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L33/02Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies
    • H01L33/20Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
    • GPHYSICS
    • G09EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09FDISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/30Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
    • G09F9/302Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements
    • G09F9/3023Segmented electronic displays
    • GPHYSICS
    • G09EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09FDISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/30Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
    • G09F9/33Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L25/00Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof
    • H01L25/03Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes
    • H01L25/04Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes the devices not having separate containers
    • H01L25/075Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes the devices not having separate containers the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L33/00
    • H01L25/0753Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes the devices not having separate containers the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L33/00 the devices being arranged next to each other
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L2924/00Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
    • H01L2924/0001Technical content checked by a classifier
    • H01L2924/0002Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L2924/00Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
    • H01L2924/095Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00 with a principal constituent of the material being a combination of two or more materials provided in the groups H01L2924/013 - H01L2924/0715
    • H01L2924/097Glass-ceramics, e.g. devitrified glass
    • H01L2924/09701Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
  • Led Device Packages (AREA)
  • Led Devices (AREA)

Description

(54) LIGHT EMITTING DIODE ELEMENT AND CHARACTER DISPLAY (71) We, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, a Corporation organized according to the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, of 13500 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to alphanumeric character displays and more particularly to LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays and materials for constructing such displays.
It has long been known that forward biased p-n junctions in certain compound semiconductor materials will emit light.
Semiconductor p-n junction diodes have been arranged' in arrays to provide alphanumeric character displays. Such arrays as previously produced were relatively expensive since they involved producing the diode junction structure on a large slice of material which was there after cut or broken into a large number of individual diodes, thus electrically isolating them from each other, and then reassembling the diodes into arrays or arrangements to provide the characters desired. Fianlly individual wire connections had to be accomplished to at least one electrode of each diode. Element nonuniformity, misalignment and bad connections caused a high percentage of rework or rejection. This fact, coupled with labor intensive nature of the process involved as well as its inherently high rate of material waste, made LED displays relatively expensive to produce.
According to the present invention, there is provided an LED array including an insulating support member having two major surfaces and a plurality of openings communicating between said major surfaces, a plurality of generally spherical semiconductor diode elements, said elements each having a subsurface p-n junction and being of sufficiently large diameter to prevent their passing completely through said openings, each of said diode elements being disposed partially within one of said openings from a first side of said opening, means adjacent a first one of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on a first side of said p-n junction and means adjacent the other of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on the other side of said p-n junction.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only making reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the LED diode element; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the diode element of Figure 1 to which electrical contacts have been affixed; Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the mounting of the diode element of Figure 1 in an LED display member; Figure 4 is a plan view of a sevensegment numerical character display; and Figure 5 is a section of the display member of Figure 4 taken along lines 55 of that figure.
Turning now to Figure 1 there is shown a sectional view of the semiconductor element, designated generally as 10. The element 10 is made up of a core 11 of single crystal semiconductor material such as silicon or germanium. The starting small single crystal spheres or pellets of semiconductor may be produced as shown in U.S. Patent No. 3998659. The core particle or sphere may be from one-eighth to one-half millimeter in diameter depending on the desired size of the finished diode element. Additional layers of material are added to the core 11 by vapor phase or liquid phase epitaxial processes such as that shown in the above-mentioned United States Patent. For example, there may be a layer 12 which is bonding layer to achieve mechanical compatibility and expansion match between the core 11 and other layers; or layer 12 may be merely a core protection layer. Layer 12, for example may be a layer of about 90% by weight silicon mixed with 10% by weight germanium over a core 11 of silicon. Of course for many material combinations, a layer corresponding to layer 12 may be unnecessary and therefore may be omitted.
Next, a crystallographic compatibility or matching layer 14 is grown'on the sphere.
Such a layer may be of changing composition from its inner surface to its outer surface. For example, a layer which at its inner surface is gallium arsenide to match crystallographically with a germanium core may be graded in composition to a material of 60% by weight gallium arsenide and 40% by weight gallium phosphide at its outer surface much in the manner ofthe planar layers described in U.S.
Patent No. 4000020. Finally, a layer 16 of constant composition, being the same composition as the outer surface of layer 14, is grown on the sphere. The layer 16 also includes minute but effective quantities of conductivity type determining impurities such as, for example, tellurium to produce n-type conductivity in gallium arsenide phosphide. Thereafter a p-type gallium arsenide phosphide impurity such as zinc is diffused into a shallow outer region 18 of the layer 16 thus producing just beneath the surface of the sphere a p-n junction 19 capable of acting as a light-emitting diode.
Alternatively, layer 18 could be prepared by adding the correct impurity, such as zinc, during deposition of the layer.
Thus, the multilayered sphere of Figure 1 forms a light-emitting diode element suitable for use in place of any LED elements of the prior art. It should be recognized that the materials of such a spherical diode element need not be single crystal material to be operable as a light emitter, although it has been found that single crystal material is generally preferable because of its higher efficiency of light production among other things.
With this in mind it is to be recognized that the inner core of the diode elements may be of single or polycrystalline germanium or silicon or of a solid or hollow mass of glass, ceramic, metal or carbon or other suitable material.
The depiction of hhe diode sphere of Figure 1 has not been shown to scale in order for the illustration to better serve its function. For example, it has been found that spheres having a finished diameter of from 0.125 to 0.5 millimeters are convenient for most uses. In diode elements of this size the outer diffused region 18 may conveniently be from about 1 to 5 microns thick; the entire layer 16 may conveniently be from about 2 to 10 microns thick and the transmission layer 12 and layer 14 may conveniently be of a combined thickness of between 5 and 10 microns.
As shown in Figure 2 the diode element 10 may be mounted between wire leads 21 and 22 of an enclosure device (not shown) for use as a discrete LED device. In such a structure a portion of the outer region 18 (anode) is removed as by abrading or etching in order that wire lead 21 may be ohmically connected as by a solder 24 or otherwise to the n-type portion of layer 16.
Such a solder should contain an ntype conductivity producing material such as tellurium to assure ohmic contact to the n-type region of layer 16 and rectifying contact to any p-type region 18 it may accidentally contact. Lead 22 is ohmically connected to outer layer 18, such as by solder 25, containing a p-type impurity.
Another method of mounting the LED devices is illustrated in Figure 3. This method is especially useful in the construction of multi-element diode arrays and is well adapted for automated assembly techniques. In the assembly of Figure 3 the support member 31 is a relatively thin insulating member such as an acetate film or a thin plate of phenolic or other circuit board type material to which have been adhered thin layers 32 and 33 of copper or other suitable conductive material. These conductive layers may be patterned, such as by etched circuit techniques or the layers may be applied as a pattern. For example, the layers may be conductive inks or paints applied by silk screen process. A pattern of holes such as 34, is cut in the support member 31 and layers 32 and 33 in the desired pattern of the diode array, the diameter of each hole being smaller than the diameter of the diode element 10. It is then an easy matter to drop a diode element into each hole in the support 31 to form the diode array in the desired pattern. The relative sizes of the holes and diode elements are such that the diode element will just protrude to the other side of the support 31 when positioned in the hole. The diode elements 10 are held in place and the outer p-type layer 18 electrically connected to the conductive layer 32 by solder or conductive epoxy glue as shown at 35.
After the diode elements 10 are attached to the support 31 the outer anode layer 18 is removed from that portion of the diode element facing the back side of the support such as by plasma etch or other suitable means. Electrical connection is then made between conductor 33 and cathode portion of the layer 16. This connection can be effected by conductive strip 36 which may be soldered or glued with conductive epoxy between the two members as shown at 38.
Other suitable means may be used for this connection.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention in the specific form of a "seven segment" numerical display which is well adapted to automated assembly.
In Figures 4 and 5 the base member 40 of the display is made of a plastics material for example phenolic resin, or other suitable insulating material which can be formed into a relatively thin plate. Depressions 41 in the shape of inverted pyramids or cones are formed in patterns in one surface of the base plate 40. These depressions terminate at the lower surface of the base plate in small openings 42 which are of a size to support a diode element sphere 10 such that it can protrude slightly below the bottom surface of the base plate 40 as shown in Figure 5. Recessed into the top base plate surface are passageways 43 which connect to selected groups of depressions 41. As can be seen, each group of depressions corresponds to one of the seven segments of eac character of the display. The depressions 41 and passageways 43 have deposited on their surfaces' a reflective and conductive coating 45. The coating 45 may be a plating of silver, copper or other suitable metal or it may be a plating of a conductive base metal with a flash of silver, nickel or other suitable material to provide high reflectivity. The area of opening 42 may have a plating of solder or tin or other low temperature melting material.
In assembly of the display, a single diode element sphere 10 is dropped into each of the depression 41 and the entire assembly heated until the outer surface 18 of each diode element is soldered to the coating 45 in the depression it occupies. Thereafter, the bottom surface of the assembly is exposed to a vapor etch which removes the outer layer 18 of the diode element 10 from the part of the element exposed through the opening 42. Then a common connection to all of the exposed diode elements is effected such as by a metallic plate 51 which may be connected to each diode element as at 52 by low temperature solder or conductive epoxy glue.
In operation of this display the coating 45 of the depression acts not only as an electrical contact means but as a reflector where only small diode elements are all that are needed to produce sufficient light for each relatively large character of this display.
Thus, there have been disclosed a lightemitting diode element and a light-emitting diode array employing such an element well suited to use as an alphanumeric character display.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An LED array including an insulating support member having two major surfaces and a plurality of openings communicating between said major surfaces, a plurality of generally spherical semiconductor diode elements, said elements each having a subsurface p-n junction and being of sufficiently large diameter to prevent their passing completely through said openings, each of said diode elements being disposed partially within one of said openings from a first side of said opening, means adjacent a first one of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on a first sideof said p-n junction and means adjacent the other of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on the other side of said p-n junction.
2. An LED array as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said openings are larger at one of said major surfaces than at the other of said major surfaces.
3. An LED array as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said openings define conical sections.
4. An LED array as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said openings define pyramidal sections.
5. An LED array as claimed in any of claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the walls of said openings have reflective coatings.
6. An LED array as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said reflective coatings are electrically conductive and act as said means providing electrical connection to said diode elements on one side of said p-n junction.
7. An LED array as claimed in Claim 6
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to the conductive layer 32 by solder or conductive epoxy glue as shown at 35. After the diode elements 10 are attached to the support 31 the outer anode layer 18 is removed from that portion of the diode element facing the back side of the support such as by plasma etch or other suitable means. Electrical connection is then made between conductor 33 and cathode portion of the layer 16. This connection can be effected by conductive strip 36 which may be soldered or glued with conductive epoxy between the two members as shown at 38. Other suitable means may be used for this connection. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention in the specific form of a "seven segment" numerical display which is well adapted to automated assembly. In Figures 4 and 5 the base member 40 of the display is made of a plastics material for example phenolic resin, or other suitable insulating material which can be formed into a relatively thin plate. Depressions 41 in the shape of inverted pyramids or cones are formed in patterns in one surface of the base plate 40. These depressions terminate at the lower surface of the base plate in small openings 42 which are of a size to support a diode element sphere 10 such that it can protrude slightly below the bottom surface of the base plate 40 as shown in Figure 5. Recessed into the top base plate surface are passageways 43 which connect to selected groups of depressions 41. As can be seen, each group of depressions corresponds to one of the seven segments of eac character of the display. The depressions 41 and passageways 43 have deposited on their surfaces' a reflective and conductive coating 45. The coating 45 may be a plating of silver, copper or other suitable metal or it may be a plating of a conductive base metal with a flash of silver, nickel or other suitable material to provide high reflectivity. The area of opening 42 may have a plating of solder or tin or other low temperature melting material. In assembly of the display, a single diode element sphere 10 is dropped into each of the depression 41 and the entire assembly heated until the outer surface 18 of each diode element is soldered to the coating 45 in the depression it occupies. Thereafter, the bottom surface of the assembly is exposed to a vapor etch which removes the outer layer 18 of the diode element 10 from the part of the element exposed through the opening 42. Then a common connection to all of the exposed diode elements is effected such as by a metallic plate 51 which may be connected to each diode element as at 52 by low temperature solder or conductive epoxy glue. In operation of this display the coating 45 of the depression acts not only as an electrical contact means but as a reflector where only small diode elements are all that are needed to produce sufficient light for each relatively large character of this display. Thus, there have been disclosed a lightemitting diode element and a light-emitting diode array employing such an element well suited to use as an alphanumeric character display. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. An LED array including an insulating support member having two major surfaces and a plurality of openings communicating between said major surfaces, a plurality of generally spherical semiconductor diode elements, said elements each having a subsurface p-n junction and being of sufficiently large diameter to prevent their passing completely through said openings, each of said diode elements being disposed partially within one of said openings from a first side of said opening, means adjacent a first one of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on a first sideof said p-n junction and means adjacent the other of said major surfaces of said member providing electrical connection to said diode elements on the other side of said p-n junction.
2. An LED array as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said openings are larger at one of said major surfaces than at the other of said major surfaces.
3. An LED array as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said openings define conical sections.
4. An LED array as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said openings define pyramidal sections.
5. An LED array as claimed in any of claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the walls of said openings have reflective coatings.
6. An LED array as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said reflective coatings are electrically conductive and act as said means providing electrical connection to said diode elements on one side of said p-n junction.
7. An LED array as claimed in Claim 6
wherein the openings are grouped to provide seven-segment characters.
8. An LED array substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 4 and 5 or Figures 1 and 3 of the accompaning drawings.
GB5178477A 1976-12-20 1977-12-13 Light emitting diode element and character display Expired GB1593999A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US75223276A 1976-12-20 1976-12-20
US05/752,389 US4126812A (en) 1976-12-20 1976-12-20 Spherical light emitting diode element and character display with integral reflector

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1593999A true GB1593999A (en) 1981-07-22

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GB5178477A Expired GB1593999A (en) 1976-12-20 1977-12-13 Light emitting diode element and character display

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JP (1) JPS6036114B2 (en)
DE (1) DE2756294A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1593999A (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4241277A (en) * 1979-03-01 1980-12-23 Amp Incorporated LED Display panel having bus conductors on flexible support
JPS58125878A (en) * 1982-01-21 1983-07-27 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Fixing substrate for light-emitting element
JP4912938B2 (en) * 2007-03-30 2012-04-11 パナソニック株式会社 Light emitting device and manufacturing method

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Publication number Publication date
DE2756294A1 (en) 1978-06-29
JPS5394784A (en) 1978-08-19
JPS6036114B2 (en) 1985-08-19

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PS Patent sealed
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Effective date: 19971212