KR20050020995A - A Lamp And Method Of Producing A Lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, there is provided a method of mounting a light emitting junction (LED 4) in each of the receptacles 2; Mounting the receptacle on a curved support structure (110) to form a three-dimensional array; And electrically connecting the light emitting junction with the support structure. The receptacles 2 are formed by pressing or stamping from a thin sheet metal separately to the support structure 110, and are mounted before the LEDs 4 mount the receptacles on the support structure 110. The receptacles may function to guide or reflect light output from the junction. The support structure 110 may be a lead frame having cavities or holes for receiving the receptacles 2.

Description

A Lamp And Method Of Producing A Lamp

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a lamp using pre-mounted light emitting semiconductors inserted into a lead frame, and a lamp produced thereby.

The present invention is an improvement on the subject matter of International Patent Application WO 02/103794, the entire disclosure and subject matter of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Lighting devices, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), are many and varied. Conventionally, it was common to use one LED as a small separate indicator, for example, to indicate a situation on a control panel for a power plant.

It is also known to provide many LEDs arranged in a two dimensional array to provide greater light output than can be provided by one LED. However, all these arrangements are not suitable for providing home or industrial lighting quality.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp and a lamp manufacturing method which provide an alternative which is improved or at least useful than the prior art.

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of non-limiting example only:

1A, 1B and 1C show top, cross sectional and perspective views of a linear array of cups;

2A is a cross sectional view of a convex lead frame showing cup insertion;

2B is a cross sectional view of the concave lead frame showing the cup insertion;

3A and 3B are plan and cross-sectional views of a lead frame equipped with cups and intermediate connecting conductors;

4A and 4B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of an example of a cup assembly with a light emitting junction mounted;

5 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical connection of the lamp of one embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a process flow diagram of a lamp manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

7-14 illustrate steps in the process of FIG. 6;

Figure 15 illustrates an alternative form of lamp lead frame (before singulation) according to another embodiment of the present invention;

16 illustrates a portion of a lamp manufacturing process according to one embodiment; And

17 is a plan view of a lamp according to another embodiment.

The invention includes mounting light emitting junctions in each receptacle; Mounting the receptacles on a curved support structure to form a three dimensional array; And electrically connecting the light emitting junction with the support structure.

The invention also provides a curved electrically conductive support structure; A plurality of receptacles mounted on the support structure to form a three dimensional array; And a plurality of light emitting junctions disposed in the respective receptacles and electrically connected to the support structure.

The invention also provides a curved, electrically conductive support structure; A lid containing a plurality of cavities for receiving in the support structure a plurality of receptacles having luminescent junctions disposed in the receptacles, the luminescent junctions forming a three-dimensional array; Provide a frame.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional array of light emitting junctions on a support structure is provided. This method provides a significant simplification of the previously disclosed manufacturing process and, by itself, is proposed as a possible alternative to the methods of mounting the light emitting junctions currently used.

Preferably, the method provides for attachment to a preformed metal, or other material, electrical conductive cups or other one-dimensional arrays of other receptacles.

Preferably, with the attached light emitting junctions, the cups of the linear array are subsequently singulated.

Preferably, the singular cups are asymmetrically arranged to take into account the correct direction and the direction of each cup in the three-dimensional array, with respect to the electrical polarity of the light emitting junction in each cup.

Preferably, the singular cups are arranged in a series of paired holes for a predetermined pattern in a curved portion of the lead frame having a partial spherical surface.

Preferably, the profile of the cups is designed to produce a specific light pattern from each luminous junction so that the combined light pattern from the three-dimensional array of cups on the lead frame can be predicted and repeated in mass production.

Preferably, the array of cups placed in the lead frame is limited to each hole by welding, soldering, gluing, or by other means to ensure the continuity of the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties between the lead frame and the cups. .

Preferably, the cups are mounted on electrical conductors in the lead frame used to control the flow of current and thus the light output of the light emitting junctions.

Preferably, the light emitting junctions are electrically connected to the two conductors in the lead frame by electrically connecting conductors. The connection arrangement of the intermediate connecting conductors can be arranged such that the light emitting junctions are controlled individually or in groups.

In yet another embodiment, the cups in the array are each equipped with a light emitting junction, singulated from the array, and mounted on tape and reel, or other commonly used packaging system. This packaging provides a different range of application than the three dimensional array on the lead frame, where modular mounting of the light emitting junction is desired.

In another aspect, a lamp formed according to the method described above is provided.

In another aspect, there is provided a cup containing a light emitting junction having sidewalls arranged to guide light output from the junction, the cup also dissipating heat generated from the junction, which is thermally coupled to the cup. Do it.

Like reference numerals are used to denote like or similar features in the drawings.

First, referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, preferred embodiments of the present invention have a plurality of light emitting junctions 4 mounted on a lead frame 110 having curved conductors 10, 11 and 12. It relates to a lamp and a lamp manufacturing method. Junctions 4 are located in respective receptacles 2 mounted on the lead frame 110 and the electrical circuit is completed through each junction 4 when the lamps are subsequently turned on. An electrical connection is made between the junction 4 and the curved conductors 10, 11, 12 and 13. The conductors 10, 11 and 12 are curved three-dimensionally (eg, spherically) while the conductors are curved two-dimensionally (eg, planar but curved).

Receptacles 2 are formed in the lead frame 110, respectively, and junctions 4 are mounted in the receptacles before the receptacles 2 are mounted to the lead frame 110. The receptacles 2 are preferably formed in bulk from strip or sheet material, and then separated from the material before or after the junctions 4 are mounted in the receptacles 2. do.

As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, the linear array 1 of receptacles 2 (preferably generally formed as a concave cup) preferably comprises pressing or stamping. It is formed of thin sheet metal, copper, or the like by the conventional means. Other forms of receptacle may also be suitable but all such receptacles are considered cups for simplicity herein. The cup 2 with the junction 4 disposed or attached is referred to herein as the cup assembly 3 for convenience. Instead of a linear (one-dimensional) array, the cups can be formed into two-dimensional sheet arrays.

One advantageous aspect of the preferred cups is the cup shape, which shape serves as a light guide for controlling the direction of light output from the junction where each cup is mounted. Each cup 2 is preferably generally circular in plan view as shown in FIG. 1A, but other shapes, such as elliptical or rectangular shapes, may also function properly. Preferred cup shapes have a circular inner base with a radius r and generally a cuptoconical shape cup wall from the inner base toward the edge of the cup with an outer radius of R (relative to the horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 1B). ) Divergence at angle X. The vertical depth from the edge of the cup to the inner circular base of the cup is shown by reference numeral T in FIG. 1B.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the cup assemblies 3 are mounted to the lead frame such that the direction of the cup assemblies is based on the lead frame 80 which is partially spherical in the area where the cup 2 is mounted. Are different about each other. This angular displacement is indicated by reference numeral Z in FIG. 2.

The shape of the cup 2, the dimensions of the radius R and r, the side (displacement) angle Z and the depth T are preferably determined by their respective influence on the light pattern emitted from the cup. The luminous intensity coming from the lamp is preferably optimized for linearity within the total angle of incidence, twice the angle Y of the beam from the lamp (shown in FIG. 2A). The solid angle 2Y corresponding by the beam is commonly referred to as the 'half angle'. Half-angle is defined as 'an angle where the luminous intensity exceeds 50% of the beam maximum'. This is an important factor in the light performance of the lamp because it affects the effect of the illumination provided by lamps of this nature.

Together with the radius of curvature C of the lead frame, the influence of these factors R, r, T and the angle X and the displacement angle Z of each cup in the partial sphere of the lead frame is determined by the value of the angle Y and thus of the assembled lamp. Configure parameters that determine the nature of the output lighting pattern.

These factors are variables for each lamp design and various lamps can be designed by optimizing these variables, the number of cups installed in the lamp, and the relative position of the cups for the desired half angle. As another example lamp design, see FIGS. 15 and 17.

After formation, the array of cups is preferably plated with, optionally, silver, silver alloy or similar material. Plating is to enhance the optical performance of each cup by providing a large reflecting surface, and is also an attachment process (e.g., used to hold the cups 2 in the holes 6 (shown in FIG. 2A) in the lead frame. For example, soldering or silver adhesive application) can be simplified.

Following the formation and plating of a linear array of cups, a light emitting junction (die) 4 is attached to the base inner surface of each cup to form the cup assembly 3. (Through the specification, the term “die” is used interchangeably with “junction” or “LED.”) Sufficient care is required to align each die with a linear array. do. The cup is preferably singulated from the array, by conventional means, and the polarity is indicated by notching or stamping (or any other method) the mark 7 on one side of the cup 2. . In a preferred form, the mark 7 is to cut or flatten one outer edge of the cup. The formation of the mark 7 on the cup can be performed immediately after the cup is formed and before plating, which can help to align the junctions with respect to the polarity.

As another form of the lead frame for the convex dome shape shown in FIG. 2A, a shape of the concave lead frame as shown in FIG. 2B may be formed. Apart from the difference in the curvature direction of the lead frame supporting the structure, the concave lamp embodiment shown in FIG. 2B may be formed in the same manner as the other convex lamp embodiments shown in FIG. 2A and the drawings and described herein. Can be. In particular, the lamp manufacturing process as shown and described with reference to FIG. 6 may be applied to concave lead frame arrangements. For example, instead of forming a dome in the center of the lead frame in step 640, a bowl (inverted dome) may be formed. Such concave lead frame shapes involve more light focusing emitted from the junction and thus this embodiment may be more suitable for applications requiring more focused light distribution than uniformity. Thus, this ramp embodiment can have a focal length approximately equal to the radius of curvature C of the central curvature of the lead frame. In this case, the effect of focus is determined in part by the magnitude of the radius of curvature C, which is influenced by the values of the radius R, r and T.

The lamp inserts the singular cups, completed with the dies, into the holes 6 in the curved lead frame conductors 10, 11, 12 of the lead frame 110, as shown in FIG. 3A. It is formed by. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate connecting conductors 14, 15, 16 pairs are attached by wire bonding between the active portions of the first polar dies and the conductors 10, 11, 12. In addition, intermediate pairs of conductors 14, 15, 16 are attached by wire bonding to the active portion of the second polar dies and to the common wire 13 and the conductors 11, 12, respectively. This configuration makes it possible to control the current flowing through the groups of light emitting junctions mounted on the conductors 10, 11 and 12 and thus to control the intensity of the emitted light.

Apart from the common wire 13, only three curved lead frame conductors 10, 11, 12 are shown in FIG. 3A. It is particularly contemplated that a larger number of curved lead frame conductors, each supporting a large number of cup assemblies, can be used. For example, FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of a lead frame supporting 18 junctions inside respective cup assemblies distributed on three separate conductors 113, 114, and 115, whereas this arrangement has a 6 in each case. And may be modified to provide five individual conductors for supporting two cup assemblies. Although not shown, another embodiment is contemplated in which more cup assemblies, for example about 50 to 100, can be supported.

Although the intermediate connecting conductors 17, 18 and 19 shown in FIG. 3A are described as pairs, instead, for example, one intermediate connecting conductor in which small low current junctions are used in the cup assemblies 3 is shown. It may be appropriate to use them.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are particularly suitable for large junctions that draw larger currents than smaller junctions, so that interconnected pairs of conductors provide a uniform collection and supply of current to the active regions of the die. It is desirable to make it. The conductor pairs also provide a second current path which serves to reduce the possible losses associated with having only one intermediate connecting wire before and after the die.

In another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, pairs of interconnecting conductors 14, 15, 16 may be connected to the cup instead of curved conductors 10, 11, 12. In another such embodiment, each cup is electrically connected to the curved conductors 10, 11, 12 through mounting using a conductive material such as solder or silver adhesive. This alternative embodiment allows the pair of intermediate connecting conductors 14, 15, 16 to be attached to the inner wall of the cup 2 prior to mounting the cup in the holes 6 of the curved conductors 10, 11, 12. . In other respects, this embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown and described above with respect to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

In another embodiment (described further below with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B), instead of connecting the intermediate connecting conductors 14, 15, and 16 to the inner wall of the cup, the pairs of conductors 26, 27 are died. A connection is made between the cathode and anode of (4) and the conductive regions 22 and 23, respectively. Then another intermediate connecting conductor is used to connect between the curved conductors 10, 11, 12 and the conductive regions 22 and 23.

In another embodiment (shown in FIG. 17), the current flowing through the individual light emitting junctions can all be controlled independently and independently by appropriately arranging the interconnecting conductors. 17 shows a possible arrangement of eight LEDs that can be controlled separately and independently. In this arrangement, the central curved (spherical) portion of the lead frame is not divided into individual conductors, but instead is a common conductor 114 for all LEDs mounted to the lead frame. It is convenient for matching to make this common conductor 114 a negative electrode (or negative terminal). There are eight anodes 132 shown, one for each die in which the flow of current to each die can be controlled. The anodes 132 are arranged in spoke form around the center of the lamp lead frame. AlGaInP dies (red and yellow) have a negative electrode at the bottom of the die (electrically physically connected to the cup), so it is convenient to have a negative electrode in common, so when mounted on a conductor it must be negative for these dies, and InGaN The dies (green and blue) have insulated undersides, making it convenient to reference them for polarity. This is the opposite polarity for a lead frame with three LED groups. The anodes are common for these because the bottom of the chips (negative) can be electrically connected to each one of the three bends of the lead frame through the disposed conductive cups.

Light emitted by an LED is a narrow frequency band or wavelength band that is perceived as a particular color in the visible spectrum. LEDs with red, yellow, green and blue light are common. When different colored LEDs are arranged in the same cluster as the LEDs shown in FIG. 17, it is possible to generate light from the LEDs that is perceived as a different color for the characteristic color of any of the constituent LEDs in the array. By controlling the excitation current in each LED, the light output level can be controlled, which causes different colors to be produced by allowing the light from the LED to be combined in varying proportions.

For example, red, green, and blue light can be combined in appropriate proportions so that white light appears as a whole. Similarly, the lamp produces color by emitting current through only these LEDs having the same wavelength, thereby emitting monochromatic light, and by reducing excitation for these LEDs of the first wavelength and simultaneously increasing excitation for the LED group of the second wavelength. It can be arranged to change. Appropriate control systems can be designed to produce any combination of color and intensity within the possibilities represented by the characteristics of the LED dies installed in the lamp.

By packaging the lamp in a selected optically suitable material, such as an epoxy resin, the combination process, or alternatively, can further enhance the light emitted by the LED die. For example, when epoxy or other capsule materials are selected that have low light absorption, minimal backscattering and good dispersibility, near uniform monochromatic emission from the lamp can be achieved and the color can be varied widely across the visible spectrum. . This may be achieved although some of the LEDs may be mounted near the end of the spherical portion of the lamp and may have an overall diverging light beam. In another embodiment, a package of low absorbing material that is optically transparent may be selected for functions where light combination to monochromatic is less important.

The electronics industry has devised many ways to control LED arrays and displays. These methods are well suited for low-power LEDs, on the order of 100 milliwatts per LED, with a controlled current of 20-50 milliamps.

LED dies with an area of 1 square millimeter (die size 1 mm x 1 mm) require excitation currents of up to 350-500 milliamps. Developments in the industry are expected to produce 2.5 square millimeters of LED dies and larger dies, which will require excitation currents in excess of 1000 milliamps. In general, an LED controller will be required to have a power control capability of 5 watts per LED, a 50-fold increase compared to the current range of about 100 milliwatts per LED.

The invention achieves, but is not limited to, LED die sizes up to 1.26 mm x 1.26 mm, each consuming 1 Watt of power. The control circuitry driving these lamps must be able to control many of these LEDs. For example, if 18 LEDs are mounted on the lamp, the control circuit would have to be able to drive about 18 watts of output.

In another preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, there is an electrically insulating layer 20 on the top surface of the cup flange 21, and regions 22 and 23 of electrically conductive material are formed on the insulating layer. Another type of cup 32 is provided that overlaps. This allows the active regions of dies 24 and 25 to be connected to conductive regions 22 and 23 by bond wires 26 and 27. These connections can be made during the process of attaching the die to the cup. This provides a significant simplification to the wire bonding process described above where the bonding equipment needs to accommodate the structure of a three dimensional array.

If the bonding wires are attached to the cups when the cups are in a linear array, simple conventional implementations can be used to make an equivalent to the intermediate connections 14 and 17 shown in FIG. 3A. This embodiment also makes use of packaged light emitting junctions in many other applications. Commonly used "pick and place" devices can be used to automatically install and connect cups.

The conductive regions 22 and 23 are preferably formed in a thin layer on an insulating layer applied to the rim of each cup. The insulating material may be epoxy or some other compound that has good adhesion to the surface of the cup and provides good electrical insulation in the form of a thin layer. The conductive regions can be formed by metal deposition or other suitable process. This process is used to produce printed circuits, in particular metal core printed circuits which are often fabricated on metallic substrates made of aluminum.

The cup assembly 3 or package (ie cup with mounted junction) has a significant advantage over light emitting junctions that can be used in other surface mount packages. Most of the limitations imposed by inferior heat dissipation from conventional packages are overcome. The cup package can be easily installed directly on the rear end manufactured from 'Metal Cored Printed Circuit Board (MCPCB)', and thus has a different application from that of lamp lighting. Thus, an almost ideal heat path can be created that goes directly from the heat source (die) through the cup material and directly to the large dissipation core of the MCPCB.

The limitation of the size of the die and the actual limit of power that the die can consume control the amount of light currently available from these devices. By providing a method for effectively and conveniently dissipating heat loss in the die, the practical limitation on the size of the die that can be successfully used is effectively removed. Thus, cups designed to accommodate a die that can consume several watts of power and produce light that is somewhat proportional to the input power can be produced simply and inexpensively.

Examples of large LED dies that may be used in embodiments of the present invention are listed in Table 1 below. For smaller LED dies, many variations are on the market and suitable dies will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Color wavelength Forward voltage Part number manufacturer blue 470 nm 3.6-4.0V LE470-P2-G AXT green 525 nm 3.6-4.0V LE525-P2-G AXT yellow 590 nm 2.0-2.4V ES-CAYL529 Epister Red 625 nm 2.0-2.4V ES-CAHR529 Epister

Referring to FIG. 6, a process flow diagram is shown, by which a lamp can be manufactured according to an embodiment of the invention. Preferred lamp manufacturing processes include forming cups each, having a junction mounted on the cup, and mounting a cup assembly on the lead frame after the lead frame has been manufactured at a predetermined point (ie, previous step 640). It includes a step. After the cups are attached onto the lead frame, the cups are processed together to form a lamp in step 665.

In step 605, the cups are formed from a copper plate or other suitable sheet or strip of deformable conductive material, for example by a press machine, each cup from the plate or sheet to form the receptacle shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. Is pressed. Step 605 includes forming a mark 7 on each cup. After the cups have been singulated from the pressed material, the cups are made of silver, aluminum or other conductive material in step 610, for example about 4 to 8 microns by barrel plating or vapor deposition. Plated to achieve a plating thickness of. After plating, the dies (referred to as chips in FIG. 6) are attached to the inner bottom of the cup, preferably by a silver adhesive, at step 615 such that the junction is directed outward from the base surface. Once the junctions are attached to the cups in step 615, the cup assemblies thus formed are transferred to a linear strip or two-dimensional sheet that can be transferred to a robotic pick and place device, such as, for example, a device used in surface mounting techniques. Can be packaged.

Apart from cup formation, the lead frame process begins by processing the basic shape of the lead frame in step 620. The processing may be by etching or mechanical stamping, and the lead frame is preferably formed from a copper or copper alloy sheet material on the order of about 400 microns thick. The thickness of the lead frame material is preferably selected for optimum heat conduction for excessive heat away from the cup assembly. For example, if a larger die is installed in the cup assembly, greater heat will be generated than if a smaller die is used. Increasing the thickness of the lead frame will assist in transferring this heat away from the lamp. The basic shape of the lead frame formed in step 620 includes conductors 10, 11, 12 in a surrounding support frame made of copper sheet material before it is deformed into spheres and separated into individual conductors. In step 625, the central conductor (which becomes the conductors 10, 11, 12) of each lead frame is preferably plated with a thickness of about 4 to 8 microns in silver or aluminum. Plating is applied over at least the center of the lead frame that receives the cup and is in electrical contact, but may be applied over the entire top surface of the lead frame for economy or convenience. After the plating is completed, in step 630, holes are drilled in the central portion (plating portion) of the lead frame. These holes will form the holes 6 shown in FIG. 2 to accommodate the cup after the center of the lead frame is spherical. Next, in step 635, the conductors 10, 11, 12 are split (conductor 13 is preferably already split as part of step 620) to separate the group of holes from the center of the lead frame. The splitting can preferably be carried out using a flat and accurate cutting tool so that no further processing is required to close the edges generated between the conductors during the splitting process.

The division is performed according to a predetermined grouping of holes in the center conductor portion of the lead frame. Thus, this grouping depends on the number of holes formed in the central conductor portion during step 630. In a preferred embodiment, nine holes are formed in step 630. In other embodiments, other numbers of holes may be formed in the lead frame to accommodate cups with junctions, for example, as shown in FIG. 15. Another embodiment shown in FIG. 15 has eighteen holes 120 formed in the center of the lead frame 110, which are divided into three separate groups of six on the conductors 113, 114, and 115. FIG. Are grouped. The dividing step 635 must also take into account the material deformation of the lead frame during the subsequent dome forming step 640. For example, the holes formed in the conductor 110 tend to slightly deform (slightly elliptical) with the deformation of the plated lead frame material during spherical dome formation. Thus, the hole forming step and the dividing step 630 and 635 can be performed to compensate for the deformation of the material during the dome formation, for example by forming holes on the conductor 11 in a flat oval shape so that the holes dome forming step. Spread out more circularly than

Dome forming step 640 may be performed with several types of presses to provide a generally spherical shape in the center of the lead frame.

In step 645, the cup assemblies 3 formed through steps 605 through 615 are attached to the lead frame following the dome forming step 640. This attachment may preferably be carried out using soldering, welding or a conductive adhesive once the cup assembly has been placed in the hole 6, for example by means of a precision robotic device.

After the cup assemblies are positioned and secured in the holes, wire bonding is performed in step 650 such that the junctions in the cup are electrically connected to the conductors 10, 11, 12 as described above. For such wire bonding, gold wires having a diameter on the order of 25 to 50 microns are preferably used, using known thermal / ultrasound welding techniques. Other types of joining techniques using different wire materials and wire diameters are common in the industry and may alternatively be used.

After wire bonding, fluorescence is selectively applied over the top of each junction in step 655. This is done by mixing the fluorescent powder evenly into the epoxy and distributing the epoxy dropwise to the top emitting surface of each junction. In step 660, an optically transparent epoxy resin or thermoplastic resin is applied to the center of the lead frame to surround the center of the lead frame. If no fluorescence was applied on the individual junctions in step 655, the fluorescent powder may be mixed with the epoxy surrounding the center of the lead frame in step 660. To apply the epoxy or thermoplastic resin, the lead frame is placed upside down with a complementary partial spherical mold. Once the epoxy resin or thermoplastic resin is cured or otherwise set, the lead frame is processed in step 665 to provide conductors 10, 11, 12, and 13 without these lead frame portions that had the lead frame in place prior to epoxy application. The lead frames are singulated from each other, including puncturing. Also at this stage, the web (obvious from the figure) connecting the conductors 10, 11, 12 is removed, for example by drilling, thereby electrically separating the conductors from each other.

7-14 illustrate the process steps described above, and in conjunction with Table 2 below, are used to illustrate a manufacturing process according to a preferred embodiment. Table 2 below summarizes some and preferred embodiments of the process steps described above and the materials for these steps.

Item fair Way Material (General) Material (example) Lead frame Basic shape processing a) etching or b) mechanical stamping Copper strips Copper alloy A194HH nominal thickness 15 mils (381 microns) Plated a) barrel plating b) precision gold c) vapor deposition Silver or aluminum 4 to 8 microns Cup hole formation Press --- Division Press --- Dome formation Press --- cup Basic shape processing Press --- Plated Barrel plating precision steam vapor deposition Silver or aluminum 4 to 8 microns With cup Soldering or conductive bonding Lead / tin alloy, or paste silver adhesive 70/30 Lead / Tin CMI 121-03 Chip insert Adhesive application dispenser Silver glue CMI 121-03 Chip placement robot LED chip InGaN, AllInGaP Heat treatment Oven process --- Wire splicing optional Electrical connection Thermal / ultrasonic welding Gold wire 25-50 micron diameter Fluorescent coating dispenser Fluorescent Powder Hung Ta 80911 465 ~ 470nM or 11001 471 ~ 474nM Optically transparent epoxy Epifine T-6000 A2 & T-6000B Packaging Molded epoxy or Molding and Oven Process Optically Clear Epoxy Resin and Catalyst Epifine T-6000 A2 & T-6000B Compression molding Forming Machinery Optically Transparent Thermoplastic Degussa Plexiglas df218N deadline Singulation Press

FIG. 15 illustrates another form of lead frame 110 with many holes 120 disposed in the center thereof. Each of the conductors 13, 14 and 15 supports six cup assemblies and is arranged to provide an even distribution of light from the junctions as a whole when the lamp is actuated. The precise arrangement and group position of the holes on the conductors 13, 14 and 15 can be changed as needed to achieve the desired light output pattern. The number and location of the holes 120 may also vary depending on the actual manufacturing requirements.

FIG. 16 illustrates a portion of the lamp manufacturing process, generally in accordance with step 645 of FIG. 6, in which cup assemblies are located in the holes 6 or 120 in the lead frame 110. The lead frames 110 may in turn be processed across the carrier 119 so that the cup assemblies 3 may be located in the tails 120 (holes 6). The carrier 119 may be configured to mate with the partial spherical surface and the reference markers of the lead frame. This mating portion may be a raised convex surface concave at the bottom of the convex lead frame, or alternatively may be a raised concave tail convex at the bottom of the concave lead frame. Thus, convex and concave lamp profiles, such as the lamp profile illustrated by FIGS. 2A and 2B, can be constructed by using alternating profiles on the carrier. Carrier 119 can rotate on shaft 121 for rotational axis movement about the X axis and on shaft 122 for rotational axis movement around the Y axis. In this way, the lead frame 110 is located on a mount (not shown) and can rotate around the X or Y axis relative to the mount to facilitate installation of the cup assemblies 3 at the rear end. . Alternatively, if a suitable robotic device can be used, the carrier 119 is fixed in place and the robotic installation device can install the cup assembly 3 at each trailing end, taking into account the partial sphere of the center of the lead frame. . In this embodiment, reference markers are provided along the outer edge on the lead frame 110 for positioning by the robotic device.

Certain modifications or improvements to the embodiments described above will be recognized by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (50)

Mounting light emitting junctions in each receptacle; Mounting the receptacles on a curved support structure to form a three dimensional array; And And electrically connecting the light emitting junction with the support structure. The method of claim 1, The support structure includes a plurality of conductors, and further comprising the step of forming at least one of the conductors in a curved form. The method of claim 2, At least some of the conductors are partially spherical. The method of claim 3, wherein At least some of the conductors are convex. The method of claim 3, wherein At least some of the conductors are formed in a concave shape. The method of claim 2, And the light emitting junctions are connected to at least one curved conductor by intermediate connecting conductors. The method of claim 6, Wherein each of the plurality of conductors is curved, one of the curved conductors is two-dimensionally curved, and the other of the curved conductors is three-dimensionally curved. The method of claim 7, wherein A lamp manufacturing method wherein each junction is electrically connected to the two curved conductors. The method of claim 2, And the junctions are electrically connected to the conductors such that the current flowing in the junction group can be individually controlled for the current flowing in the other junction group. The method of claim 2, And the junctions are connected to a conductor such that the current flowing in any junction can be controlled independently of the current in the other one by one. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the receptacles are preformed into a cup. The method of claim 11, And the cups function as an optical guide to control the direction of light output from each of the mounted junctions. The method of claim 11, The cups are formed in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array and subsequently singularized (singularized). The method of claim 11, And the cups are mounted to respective cavities in the support structure. The method of claim 14, And said cavities are holes extending through said support structure. The method of claim 11, And the junctions installed in the cups are insulated from the flange of each cup and are electrically connected to conductive regions mounted on the flange of each cup. The method of claim 13, A method of making a lamp wherein the singulated cups with attached light emitting junctions are packaged in tape and reel, or other bulk packaging. The method of claim 1, And the support structure is formed by a lead frame. The method of claim 18, The supporting structure (a) stamping the conductive plate in a predetermined form; (b) forming cavities in the central portion of the conductive plate to receive the receptacle; And (c) forming a lamp in a curved shape on the central portion. The method of claim 19, And the center portion is separated into individual conductors before the pressing step. The method of claim 19, The center of the lamp manufacturing method is coated with silver or silver alloy. A lamp formed by the method according to any of the preceding claims. Curved electrically conductive support structures; A plurality of receptacles mounted on the support structure to form a three dimensional array; And And a plurality of light emitting junctions disposed in the respective receptacles and electrically connected to the support structure. The method of claim 23, Lamps where each receptacle is a cup. The method of claim 24, Each cup having sidewalls arranged to guide light output from the junction, wherein the cup also serves to dissipate heat generated from the junction thermally coupled to the cup. The method of claim 24, Each cup further comprises an electrical insulation layer for electrical connection between the junction wire of the light emitting junction mounted on the cup and the intermediate connecting conductor connecting the junction to the conductor such that a current flows through the light emitting junction. And a region is provided on said insulating layer. The method of claim 24, Each cup is formed with a polarity indicator on one side of the cup to indicate the polarity of the junction disposed inside the cup. The method of claim 23, The support structure comprises a plurality of conductors, at least one conductor being curved, and the receptacles mounted to the at least one curved conductor so that the light emitting junctions are in a three dimensional arrangement. The method of claim 22 or 23, At least one of said junctions is adapted to emit different colored light for different junctions. The method of claim 28, And the light emitting junctions are connected to at least one curved conductor by intermediate connecting conductors. The method of claim 30, Wherein each of the plurality of conductors is curved, one of the curved conductors is curved in two dimensions, and the other of the curved conductors is curved in three dimensions. The method of claim 31, wherein A lamp, each junction electrically connected to the two curved conductors. The method of claim 23, And the junctions are electrically connected to the conductors such that the current flowing in the junction group can be controlled separately for the current flowing in the other junction group. The method of claim 23, And the junctions are connected to the conductors such that the current flowing in any junction can be controlled separately from the current in the filtered junction one by one. The method of claim 24, A lamp mounted to respective cavities in the support structure. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein And the cavities are holes extending through the support structure. The method of claim 28, At least some of the conductors are partially spherical. The method of claim 37, At least some of the conductors are convex. The method of claim 37, At least some of the conductors are concave. The method of claim 23, And the support structure is formed of a lead frame. The method of claim 40, The lead frame is formed of copper or a copper alloy. 42. The method of claim 41 wherein At least one portion of the lead frame is formed of silver or silver alloy. The method of claim 23, And the receptacles are formed of copper or a copper alloy. The method of claim 43, And the receptacles are coated with silver or silver alloy. The method of claim 40, The support structure (a) stamping the conductive plate in a predetermined form; (b) coating a central portion of the conductive plate with silver or a silver alloy; (c) forming a cavity in the central portion of the conductive plate to receive the receptacle; And (d) a lamp formed by pressing in a curved shape on the center portion. The method of claim 45, The central portion being separated into respective conductors before the pressing step. Curved, electrically conductive support structures; A lid containing a plurality of cavities for receiving in the support structure a plurality of receptacles having luminescent junctions disposed in the receptacles, the luminescent junctions forming a three-dimensional array; frame. The method of claim 47, The support structure (a) stamping the conductive plate in a predetermined form; (b) forming the cavities in the center of the conductive plate; And and (c) a lead frame containing a plurality of light emitting junctions for forming a lamp, formed by pressing in a curved shape on the central portion. 49. The method of claim 48 wherein And the center portion receives a plurality of light emitting junctions for forming a lamp, which are separated into individual conductors before the pressing step. 49. The method of claim 48 wherein Wherein said central portion is coated with silver or silver alloy, said lead frame containing a plurality of light emitting junctions for forming a lamp.