TW201802552A - Devices comprising a patterned color conversion medium and methods for making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein are optical assemblies comprising a light emitting device, a color conversion medium at least partially circumscribing the light emitting device, and a transparent lens positioned in overlying registration with the light emitting device and the color conversion medium. Also disclosed herein are color conversion assemblies comprising a color conversion medium arranged in a ring-shaped pattern between two substrates. Further disclosed herein are light conversion devices comprising a substrate having a first surface patterned with a color conversion medium and a reflective layer disposed on the first surface and at least partially encapsulating the color conversion medium. Display, lighting, and electronic devices comprising such assemblies and devices are also disclosed herein.

Description

Device including patterned color conversion medium and manufacturing method thereof

This disclosure relates generally to devices that include patterned color conversion media, and more particularly to optical assemblies that include at least two of a lens, a color conversion medium, and / or a light source, and includes such assemblies. Into a display and lighting device.

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are commonly used in various electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, electronic tablets, televisions, and computer monitors. Conventional LCDs typically include a blue light emitting diode (LED) and a color conversion element, such as a phosphor or a quantum dot (QD). LEDs can also be used in combination with color conversion elements in lighting applications such as lighting fixtures. For example, blue light from an LED can be directed through a color conversion medium that can convert some light into green and / or red light when blue light passes. The combination of blue, green, and red light is perceived by the human eye as white light.

Color conversion elements such as phosphors and QDs are not 100% quantum efficient in converting light, and some light energy can be absorbed by the color conversion element as heat. In addition, the color conversion process itself can generate heat, for example, due to the Stokes shift when a shorter wavelength is converted to a longer wavelength. In some cases, up to 20-40% of the absorbed light is converted into heat. Because excessive heat can degrade the color conversion element, it is important to establish sufficient cooling or heat dissipation paths to dissipate the heat generated and maintain the color conversion element at the desired operating temperature. Although the phosphor material may be capable of operating at moderate temperatures (e.g., up to about 300 ° C), QD materials are highly temperature sensitive and can undergo degradation at temperatures greater than about 100 ° C.

Due to the temperature sensitivity of the QD, traditional backlight units (BLU) are generally configured to avoid the close proximity and / or direct contact between the QD and the LED. This configuration can be referred to as a "remote" configuration. For example, as shown in the LCD assembly in Figure 1, QDs are often supplied in the form of glass or polymer tubes, capillaries, sheets, or films, such as QD enhancement film (QDEF) 1, which can be It is placed above the array of LEDs 2 (but not in direct physical contact) arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB) 3. The light 4 emitted from the LED 2 can thus pass through the QD as it proceeds to the liquid crystal (LC) panel 5. The BLU 6 may further include a heat sink 7 attached to the PCB, which may dissipate heat generated by the LED 2.

However, these assemblies may not provide sufficient cooling because the heat from the QD is mainly dissipated by free or forced convection air force 8 through the gap between the LED and QDEF. QDEF itself is a relatively poor thermal conductor and does not benefit from direct thermal contact with the heat sink 7. Thus, the LCD assembly may be operated at a lower light intensity and / or power in order to protect the QD from thermal degradation, which may undesirably cause an overall reduction in display or luminous brightness. In addition, these assemblies can lead to significant material waste, as the QDs are evenly distributed across the overall LED array, rather than just discretely positioned above each individual LED in the array.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a device that includes a patterned color conversion medium that can reduce material waste and thereby reduce the cost of such devices. It would also be advantageous to provide a device that includes a heat dissipation path or other cooling mechanism that can dissipate heat generated by the color conversion medium.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an optical assembly including a light emitting device disposed on a first surface of a substrate; and a ring structure including a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface of the substrate; And a transparent lens, which is positioned in a manner of registering with the light emitting device and the ring structure, wherein the color conversion medium is spaced apart from the light emitting device and at least partially externally connects the light emitting device. This article also discloses display, light emitting, and electronic devices including such assemblies or arrays of assemblies.

The present disclosure also relates to a color conversion assembly including a sub-assembly that includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are collectively sealed to form at least one cavity including a color conversion medium; and a transparent lens, which The assembly is positioned by overlying registration, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of cavities arranged in a discontinuous annular pattern, and wherein the transparent lens includes a convex surface, and the convex shape At least a portion of the surface includes an equilateral spiral curvature. This article further discloses an optical assembly including a color conversion assembly and at least one light emitting device, and a display, light emitting, and electronic device including such an assembly.

This article also discloses a color conversion assembly that includes a transparent substrate and a reflective substrate that are sealed together to form at least one cavity containing a color conversion medium, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of discontinuous rings Cavities arranged like patterns. This document additionally discloses an optical assembly including a color conversion assembly and at least one light emitting device and / or a transparent lens, and a display, light emitting, and electronic device including such an assembly.

This document further discloses a light conversion device including a transparent substrate having a first surface and a relatively light emitting surface; a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface; and a reflective layer disposed on the first surface and encapsulating the At least a portion of a color conversion medium. A light guide assembly including the light conversion device optically coupled to the light emitting device is also disclosed herein. This article further discloses methods for manufacturing a color conversion assembly. The methods include patterning a color conversion medium on a first surface of a transparent substrate, and depositing a protective layer on the first surface to encapsulate at least the color conversion medium. A portion, wherein one of the substrate or the protective layer comprises a reflective material.

Additional features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in the following detailed description, and to a certain extent, those skilled in the art will readily understand these features and advantages based on the description, or by practicing such as this article (including the following) Embodiments, the scope of invention patent applications, and the methods described in the accompanying drawings) to recognize these features and advantages.

It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present various embodiments of the disclosure, and are intended to provide an overview and framework for understanding the nature and features of the scope of an invention patent. The accompanying drawings are incorporated to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operations of the disclosure.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 2-16, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of lenses, light emitting devices, light conversion devices, and optical assemblies including such devices. A display and light emitting device including such devices and assemblies is also disclosed herein. The following general description is intended to provide an overview of the claimed device, and various aspects will be discussed more clearly throughout this disclosure with reference to non-limitingly depicted embodiments, which are interchangeable within the context of this disclosure. lens

Disclosed herein is a lens including a contact surface, a convex surface, and a central region disposed therebetween, wherein the convex surface includes a negatively rotating triplex depression that extends into the central region. The negative-rotation triple concavity depression may, for example, include a hollow conical region having a cone half-angle ranging from about 15 ° to about 40 °. Also disclosed herein is a lens including a contact surface, a convex surface, and a central region disposed therebetween, wherein at least a portion of the convex surface includes an equilateral spiral curvature. In some embodiments, the lens may be linear or rotationally symmetric. Suitable materials from which lenses can be constructed include optically transparent materials such as glass and plastic.

FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary lens 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The lens 100 may include a contact surface 101, a convex surface 102, and a center region 103 disposed therebetween. The convex surface 102 may include a negative-rotation triple-thickness depression 104, for example, at or near the vertex of the convex surface, and this depression 104 may extend into the central region 103. In some embodiments, the negative-rotation triple-thickness depression 104 may have a vertex 107 that points to the contact surface 101. In other embodiments discussed in more detail below, the convex surface 102 may be truncated such that it does not extend completely to conform to the contact surface 101. In these embodiments, the contact surface 101 and the convex surface 102 can be connected through the truncated surface 105 (coated with a reflective layer if necessary). In addition, in a non-limiting embodiment, the contact surface 101 may include one or more recesses or cutouts 106, which may be provided to accommodate light sources in the optical assembly as needed, which is also discussed in more detail below.

As used herein, the term "convex" is intended to mean a surface shape that defines a lens, which is thinner at the outer edge of the lens than at the center of the lens, for example, when the contact surface is flat. In some embodiments, the convex second surface may be conceived as a surface that is curved or extended outward from the centerline of the flat first surface of the lens, such as a hemispherical or semi-ellipsoidal shape. The convex surface of the lens can be conceived as a round top, and its size need not be ideally round, hemispherical, or semi-elliptical.

As depicted in Figure 2B, the "convex" surface may be rotationally symmetric about the vertical centerline 108 of the lens 100. For example, as illustrated, the convex surface 102 may include a rotationally symmetric hemisphere, for example, as is the case in a typical lens. However, other shapes such as ellipses, parabolas, or 2D surfaces created by turning a 1D contour function around a centerline are also possible and are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. The 1D contour function may be generated by a smooth curve and / or may not be continuous in terms of slope. Convex surfaces that are rotationally symmetric about the center line of the lens can also be described by the standard aspheric sag equation or the Forbes polynomial aspheric sag equation. The surface pendant system described by these equations is the normal distance from the plane that is normal to the centerline at the point of intersection with the surface of that normal. The magnitude of the droop of the convex surface increases greatly with the distance from the centerline, and has the symbol that makes the lens thinner at the edge of the lens than at the center of the lens. In some radial regions, the lens can become thicker with the radial distance from the lens, but to a greater extent thinner at the edges.

It should be understood that the term "convex" is not limited to a surface that is rotationally symmetric about a vertical centerline. It is possible that asymmetric surface shapes will be beneficial in providing different lighting profiles. The equation describing this shape may not be a standard droop equation, but may describe a free-form surface shape used in the field of optical manufacturing. It should also be understood that the term "convex" is not limited to a continuous surface. The surface may also be a composite surface, and the droop of different spatial regions of the composite surface is defined by different equations.

FIG. 2C provides a detailed view of the area C in FIG. 2A, which includes the negatively rotating triple-concave depression 104. As used herein, the term "negatively rotating triple-concave depression" is intended to mean a hollow conical region capable of diverging collimated light, which can be envisaged as a substantially conical indentation or into a convex surface of a lens Sunken. According to various embodiments, the vertical centerline 109 of the cone may be spatially oriented to align or be substantially aligned or parallel or substantially parallel with the vertical centerline of the convex surface (see 108 in Figure 2B). The term "negative" is used to indicate that the conical surface forms a lens shape that diverges collimated light incident on the cone, as opposed to a positively rotating triplex lens that converges the light to form the focal point of the axis in space. Because the spherical surface in the optical system can be designed to be slightly aspherical in shape to improve performance, the shape of the cone can also deviate from a perfect cone to improve performance and / or simplify manufacturing.

For example, in some cases, it can be difficult to make a negatively rotating triplex depression with an ideal tip point or apex 107. Thus, in some embodiments, the depression 104 may have an apex 107 having a blunt or circular curvature, for example, as depicted in Figure 2C. Therefore, instead of having a "width" defined by a single point (as in the case of a perfect cone), the circular vertex 107 may have a width w greater than 0. It should be noted, however, that blunt or rounded apex 107 may allow some light to pass at shallow angles, for example, resulting in unwanted light leakage in the area. Although the apex 107 can be machined or molded to increase its sharpness, in some embodiments, it is also possible to change one or more of the surfaces of the negatively-rotated triplex depression to offset this effect. For example, a reflective film (not illustrated) may be deposited on at least a portion of the circular apex of the cone so that light is reflected backwards, and possibly across different paths and reflected so that it escapes the lens at different points. At least a portion of the circular apex 107 may also be blocked by a coating or solid objects, such as small balls or spheres that attach or are forced into the apex of the cone.

According to various embodiments, the negative-rotation triple concavity depression 104 may have a conical half-angle β, ranging from about 15 ° to about 40 °, such as about 20 ° to about 35 °, or about 25 ° to about 30 °, inclusive thereof. All ranges and subranges. As used herein, the term "cone half-angle" and variations thereof are intended to mean the angle formed by the vertical centerline 109 of the cone and the line 110 that traverses the outermost point of the cone and the vertical centerline of the cone. As noted above, the depression 104 need not be ideally conical, and the sides may not be ideally linear. For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, the sides of the cone may be curved inwardly toward the vertical centerline of the cone, or in other embodiments, may be curved outward (not illustrated).

It should be noted that although the lens 100 is depicted as a plano-convex shape in FIGS. 2A-C, for example, having a substantially planar contact surface 101, it may also be used for a first surface that is non-planar. In some cases, a slightly convex contact surface (eg, having a radius of curvature greater than about 100 mm) may provide improved optical properties, such as reduced refraction in a "backward" (eg, away from the user) direction. However, for practical purposes, such as for ease of construction, plano-convex lenses can be more easily implemented in optical assemblies. In some embodiments, the contact surface may be planar or substantially planar. In addition, although FIG. 2B illustrates a spherical contact surface 101 having a rotational symmetry about the vertical centerline 108 of the lens, it should be understood that the contact surface 101 may be rotationally asymmetric about the vertical centerline of the lens, may be aspheric, and / or Can have a free-form shape. As previously noted, the contact surface 101 may be provided with one or more recesses or cutouts 106 that are intended to accommodate optical components such as light sources, color conversion media, circuits, and the like.

The overall height (or thickness) and / or diameter of the lens 100 may, for example, depend on the size of the optical assembly in which the lens is intended to be used. For example, the diameter of the lens may be selected to be larger than the size (e.g., diameter, length, and / or width) of the light source to which it may be optically coupled. For illustrative purposes only, in non-limiting embodiments, the total lens height (or thickness) may be in the following ranges: about 0.1 mm to about 20 mm, about 0.2 mm to about 15 mm, about 0.5 to about 10 mm, About 1 mm to about 8 mm, about 2 mm to about 7 mm, about 3 mm to about 6 mm, or about 4 mm to about 5 mm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. Similarly, the diameter of the lens may be, for example, in the following ranges: about 1 mm to about 100 mm, about 5 mm to about 90 mm, about 10 mm to about 80 mm, about 20 mm to about 70 mm, about 30 mm to about 60 mm, or about 40 mm to about 50 mm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

The size and / or shape of the lens may also depend on the desired optical path of light emitted by a light source optically coupled to the lens. For example, referring to FIG. 3A, the curvature of the convex lens surface 102 may be designed so that light 110 emitted from a light source (eg, LED) 111 optically coupled to the lens strikes the convex surface 102 at an angle greater than a critical angle, and returns It becomes "captured" in the lens due to total internal reflection (TIR). As used herein, the term "optically coupled" is intended to mean that the light source is positioned relative to the lens such that light is introduced into or injected into the lens. The light source may be optically coupled to a component such as a lens, light guide plate (LGP), or other substrate, even if it is not in physical contact with the component.

其描述在具有不同折射率之兩種材料之間的界面處的光折射。根據司乃耳定律，n₁ 為第一材料之折射率，n₂ 為第二材料之折射率，θ_i 為在界面處相對於界面法線的入射光之角度(入射角)，且θ_r 為折射光相對於法線之折射角。當折射角(θ_r )為90°時，例如，sin(θ_r )= 1，司乃耳定律可表示為：

在此等條件下的入射角θ_i 亦可稱為臨界角θ_c 。具有大於臨界角之入射角(θ_i ＞θ_c )之光將在第一材料內全內反射，而具有等於或小於臨界角之入射角(θ_i ≤θ_c )之光將藉由第一材料透射。Total internal reflection (TIR) means that light propagating in a first material (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.) containing a first refractive index can be used to compare the The phenomenon of total reflection at the interface of the second material (for example, air, etc.). TIR can be explained using Snell's law:

It describes the refraction of light at the interface between two materials with different refractive indices. According to Snell's law, n ₁ is the refractive index of the first material, n ₂ is the refractive index of the second material, θ _i is the angle (incident angle) of the incident light at the interface with respect to the interface normal, and θ _r Is the refraction angle of the refracted light relative to the normal. When the refraction angle (θ _r ) is 90 °, for example, sin (θ _r ) = 1, Snell's law can be expressed as:

The incidence angle θ _i under these conditions can also be referred to as the critical angle θ _c . Light having an incident angle (θ _i > θ _c ) greater than the critical angle will be totally internally reflected in the first material, and light having an incident angle (θ _i ≤ θ _c ) equal to or less than the critical angle will pass through the first Material transmission.

In the case of an exemplary interface between air ( n ₁ = 1) and glass ( n ₂ = 1.5), the critical angle ( θ _c ) can be calculated as 41 °. Therefore, if the light propagating through the glass hits the air-glass interface at an incident angle greater than 41 °, all incident light will be reflected from the interface at an angle equal to the incident angle. If the reflected light encounters a second interface containing the same refractive index relationship as the first interface, the light incident on the second interface will be reflected again at a reflection angle equal to the incident angle.

Therefore, the lenses disclosed herein can be configured to "capture" light, for example, so that light injected into the lens by a light source can repeatedly propagate within the lens, reflect along the convex surface 102, or alternatively, contact surface 101 and convex Reflections between surfaces 102 unless or until changes in interface conditions are made. In some embodiments, with reference to FIG. 3A, the curvature of the convex surface 102 may be designed to project from the light source 111 such that substantially all light emitted 110 regardless of the origin of the light source itself will all how the striking angle of incidence θ _i Convex surface, where θ _i > θ _c . For example, light 110 emitted from a corner above the light source 111 (the upper right corner 113 illustrated in FIG. 3A) may have the smallest angle of incidence relative to the convex surface 102 of the lens, and therefore, the lens may be configured such that even The light emitted from this position on the light source 111 has an incident angle θ _i greater than the critical angle θ _c .

Referring to FIG. 3A, the color conversion medium 112 may be distributed around the periphery of the light source 111 to provide an area for changing interface conditions, for example, so that the reflected light incident on the color conversion medium 112 is scattered forward at an angle smaller than the critical angle θ _c . Thus, the TIR can be "interrupted" or interrupted in the area where the color conversion medium 112 is distributed, so that the light 110 can escape the lens as transmitted light 110 '. This configuration may also have the added benefit of providing a heat dissipation path for the color conversion medium itself (e.g., via a PCB (not shown) underneath the color conversion medium) so that the optical assembly using the disclosed configuration can operate at high temperatures . In addition, because the light 110 from the light source 111 is spatially reflected and / or propagates outward before passing through the color conversion medium 112, the color conversion medium may be exposed to a reduced luminous flux density, for example, meaning that the optical assembly may Operates at higher light intensities than prior art configurations. These and other potential benefits are discussed in more detail below with reference to the disclosed optical assemblies.

It should be noted that FIG. 3A illustrates only the right half of the surface curvature of the convex lens (and the corresponding half of the LED 111 and the color conversion medium 112). Rotation of the curve around the lens's vertical centerline 108 (also the axis of symmetry in this case) will produce a convex lens surface 102 having the topology illustrated in Figure 3B. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the convex surface 102 in FIG. 3A is truncated so that it does not extend completely to conform to the contact surface 101. In some embodiments, the truncated surface (unlabeled) may be coated with a reflective layer 114 to prevent light from escaping from this area.

可使用方程式(1)來繪製：

(1) 其中

為表示光線之方向的單位向量，且

為

與正交之單位向量。

及

之點積可藉由方程式(2)表示：

(2) 其中α為在

與

之間形成的角度。因為入射角為α之補角，所以方程式(2)可重寫為以下方程式(3)：

(3) 方程式(3)可進一步簡化來提供極坐標中之微分方程式(4)：

(4) 方程式(4)之解由方程式(5)表示：

(5) 其中r(0)為θ=0時曲線r(θ)之起始點或原點。According to a non-limiting embodiment, the lens may be configured such that substantially all light emitted from the light source strikes the convex surface 102 at a constant angle of incidence θ _i , where θ _i = k> θ _c . Referring again to FIG. 3A, the constant incidence angle curve r (θ) of the convex surface 102 can be defined by using the origin defined as the upper right corner 113 (as shown) or upper left corner (not shown) of the light source to define the coordinate system structure. As depicted in Figure 4, the tangent vector of the curve r (θ)

It can be plotted using equation (1):

(1) of which

Is a unit vector representing the direction of the ray, and

for

Orthogonal unit vector.

and

The dot product can be expressed by equation (2):

(2) where α is in

versus

The angle formed between them. Because the angle of incidence is the complement of α, equation (2) can be rewritten as the following equation (3):

(3) Equation (3) can be further simplified to provide differential equations (4) in polar coordinates:

(4) The solution of equation (4) is expressed by equation (5):

(5) where r (0) is the starting point or origin of curve r (θ) when θ = 0.

Figure 5 depicts an exemplary constant incidence angle curvature for convex lens surface 102, where r (0) = 0.4 mm and θ _i = 42 °. Exemplifying the range of the angle θ of the light emitted from the light source 111 (0 <θ <π), each range generates an incident angle θ _i = 42 ° with the convex surface of the lens. It should be noted that for an angle θ> π, the constant incidence angle curve will define a spiral, also known as a logarithmic spiral, an equiangular spiral, or a growth spiral. Thus, the convex surface 102 having a constant incidence angle curvature may include at least one region having an equiangular spiral curvature. In some embodiments, substantially all of the convex surface may have an equilateral spiral curvature. In other embodiments, a portion of the convex surface may have an equiangular helical curvature (for example, in the case of a lens with a truncated surface).

It should be further noted that the light rays tend to travel along the top of the lens so that a gap 115 can be left next to the light source 111. Thus, the light emitted from the optical assembly can be perceived as a halo forming a periphery around the light source 111, but some light can also leak out in the central region corresponding to the negative-rotational triplex depression, as noted above. The lens apex can be machined, molded, or otherwise modified (e.g., using a reflective layer) to reduce or eliminate such light leakage when needed.

(6a)

(7b) 凸狀表面至y軸右側的邊界或最大極限116出現在角度θ_i 處。因而，用於此最右點之笛卡兒坐標可由方程式(7a-b)表示：

(7a)

(7b) x_r 之值可用於判定可光學地耦合至透鏡之光源之最大半徑。The peak value for (0 <θ <π) in the curve r (θ) can be expressed as an angle θ _p = θ _i + π / 2. The Cartesian coordinates for this peak can be expressed by equations (6a-b):

(6a)

(7b) The boundary or maximum limit 116 of the convex surface to the right of the y-axis appears at the angle θ _i . Thus, the Cartesian coordinates for this rightmost point can be represented by equations (7a-b):

(7a)

(7b) The value of x _r can be used to determine the maximum radius of a light source that can be optically coupled to the lens.

Although Figures 2-3 illustrate a rotationally symmetric (eg, hemispherical) lens 100 configured to be optically coupled with a single light source, it should be noted that other configurations may be used where the lens may be coupled to more than one light source. For example, as depicted in Figure 6, the linear lens 100 'may have a contact surface 101', a convex surface 102 ', similar to those defined above for the symmetric lens 100. Further, in some embodiments, the convex surface 102 'of the linear lens 100' may be similarly engineered to have a constant incidence angle curvature (equivalent spiral curvature). In addition, the lens 100 'may have a double-leaf shape (A'-B') or a single-leaf configuration (A 'or B') as illustrated. In some embodiments, during the construction of the optical assembly, the individual leaf portions A 'and B' may be mated together to form a double leaf configuration. A bilobal (A'-B ') linear lens can be arranged to be registered with the light source array 111', or each individual leaf (A ', B') can be individually aligned with the light source array 111 ' Overlay registration on one side.

The linear lens 100 'depicted in Figure 6 can be formed using any method known in the art, such as extrusion, molding, casting, or stamping, to name a few. Similar manufacturing processes can be used to produce the rotationally symmetric lens 100 or an array of such lenses. Such an exemplary array is depicted in Figure 7, where each individual lens 100 may include an aperture or recess 106 corresponding to each individual light source (not shown) in the accompanying LED array. Optical assembly

Also disclosed herein is an optical assembly comprising a combination of at least one lens as described above with at least one of a light emitting device and / or a color conversion medium. The lens may be optically coupled to at least one light source, such as an LED. The optical assembly may also include a lens and a color conversion medium including at least one color conversion element, such as a phosphor, a quantum dot, and / or a lighting body, such as a fluorophore and / or a luminescent polymer. The non-limiting exemplary optical assembly may include a backlight unit (BLU), a light guide plate (LPG), a color conversion device, a light emitting device, a light conversion device, or a lighting fixture, to name a few.

In various embodiments, the optical assembly includes a light emitting device that is disposed on the first surface of the substrate; a ring structure that includes a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a transparent lens that communicates with The light-emitting device and the ring structure are positioned in an overly-registered manner, wherein the color conversion medium is spaced apart from the light-emitting device and at least partially externally connects the light-emitting device. This article also reveals an array of such assemblies.

Referring to FIG. 8, a non-limiting exemplary optical assembly is depicted, which includes a lens 100, a light source 111, and a color conversion medium 112. The assembly may further include a ring structure 117. In some embodiments, it may include a first substrate 118 and a second substrate 119 defining a cavity 120, and the color conversion medium 112 is contained in the cavity. The ring structure 117 may further define a recess 121 in which the light source 111 may be positioned at least partially. A printed circuit board (PCB) 122 may also be provided, and the light source 111 may be mounted on the printed circuit board. The heat sink 123 may also be attached to the PCB, which may include one or more thermal vias (not illustrated) for dissipating heat from the light source and / or the color conversion medium. One or more adhesive layers (not illustrated) may be present between two or more of the optical assembly components as required. Exemplary paths including light 110 and transmitted light 110 'are used for illustrative purposes.

The lens 100 may include the contact surface 101 and the convex surface 102 as described above. The convex surface 102 may include a negative-rotation triple-thickness depression 104, which may have an apex 107 directed toward the contact surface 101. According to various embodiments, the lens 100 may be positioned in an overly-registered manner with the light source 111 and / or the color conversion medium 112. In various embodiments, the apex 107 of the lens 100 may be aligned with the vertical centerline of the light source 111. In other embodiments, the outer periphery of the lens 100 may be aligned with the outer periphery of the color conversion medium 112. The contact surface 101 may be positioned in physical contact with the ring structure 117 (eg, the first substrate 118), and / or may be attached to the ring structure 117 via an adhesive layer (not illustrated). Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, the contact surface 101 may include one or more recesses or cutouts, and the light source 111 may be positioned at least partially in the one or more recesses or cutouts (see, for example, Sections 2A-B 106 and 106).

According to various non-limiting embodiments, the color conversion medium 112 may be arranged around a circular pattern of the light source 111, for example, so that the color conversion ring is at least partially external to the light source. Although such a ring may not be understood from FIG. 8 which illustrates only a cross section of the optical assembly, other examples of the ring-shaped color conversion medium are illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 13A-B. It should be noted, however, that the term "ring" is not limited to circular patterns, but may include ovals, squares, rectangles, and other shapes. Thus, a "ring" may define any regular or irregular perimeter that extends around the light source 111. In addition, the "ring" or periphery need not be continuous, as in the case of a single ring cavity. The truth is that the ring may contain one or more gaps, such as the condition of the space between multiple cavities arranged in a circular pattern.

According to other embodiments, the ring of the color conversion medium 112 may be spaced apart from the light source 111, for example, not in physical contact with the light source. However, in other non-limiting embodiments, the ring may contact the light source at least partially, including touching the side of the light source or overlying the top of the light source. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to space the color conversion medium 112 away from the light source 111 to reduce heat transfer between these two components.

In various embodiments, the color conversion medium may be arranged in a plane extending around the periphery of the light source. In some embodiments, the color conversion medium may be in the same horizontal plane as the light source. If the color conversion medium is arranged in the same horizontal plane as the light source and is externally connected to the light source, the light source may not directly emit light into the plane of the color conversion medium. The truth is that the light emitted directly from the light source can first be reflected off the convex surface of the transparent lens and can then be redirected back into the plane of the light source, for example, in the plane of a color conversion medium. Thus, in a non-limiting embodiment, the color conversion medium is not exposed to light emitted directly from the light source, but in reality it is exposed to reflected light redirected one or more times by a lens.

The ring of color conversion media can be produced using various structures and combinations thereof. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, a ring structure 117 may be used, which may include a first substrate 118 and a second substrate 119 that are sealed together to form at least one cavity 120 containing a color conversion medium 112. According to various embodiments, the first substrate 118 may contact the lens 100 and the second substrate 119 may contact the PCB 122 directly or via an adhesive layer (or other intermediate layer). In some embodiments, the cavity 120 may be an annular cavity, for example, extending continuously around the periphery of the light source 111. Alternatively, the cavity 120 may include a plurality of cavities arranged in a circular pattern. As shown in FIG. 13A, the first substrate 118 and the second substrate 119 may be sealed together to form a plurality of annular cavities 120 or an array of annular cavities 120.

In various embodiments, the optical assembly depicted in FIG. 8 may be repeated to form an optical array including an array of lenses 100, an array of light sources 111, and an array including a ring of color conversion media 112. Figure 9 depicts an exemplary two-dimensional array. As previously indicated, in some embodiments, the ring-shaped color conversion medium 112 may be spaced apart from the light source 111 by a distance d to reduce thermal interaction between these two components. Alternatively, although not illustrated, the color conversion ring may physically contact at least a part of the light source 111.

FIG. 10 illustrates another non-limiting configuration for an optical assembly according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the lens 100 "may include at least one cavity 120 'that contains a color conversion medium. Thus, the lens 100" may serve as a first substrate and may be sealed or otherwise combined with a second substrate 119 Together to form a ring structure 117 '. In other non-exemplified embodiments, the color conversion medium may be individually sealed between two separate films, such as a polymer film (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate "PET"), and individually sealed The color conversion media can be placed in cavity 120 (Figure 8) or 120 '(Figure 10).

FIG. 11 illustrates yet another configuration for an optical assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the depicted embodiment, the ring structure 117 may include a first substrate 118 and a second substrate 119. The micro light source 111 &apos; may comprise, for example, a micro LED, which may be deposited in an optional cavity or hole (not labeled) in the first substrate 118. In some embodiments, the micro light source 111 '(e.g., a micro LED) may have a height of less than about 10 μm, such as in a range of about 3 μm to about 8 μm, about 4 μm to about 7 μm, or about 5 μm to Approx. 6 μm, including all ranges and subranges in between. The adhesive layer 124 may be disposed above the first substrate 118 and the micro light source 111 'to adhere the lens 100 to the first substrate 118. Thus, the first substrate 118 may serve as a PCB assembly on which the micro light source is mounted and as a sealing substrate in the ring structure 117. According to various embodiments, the first substrate 118 may be constructed from a transparent material.

FIG. 12 illustrates another configuration for an optical assembly according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the ring structure 117 "may include a first substrate 118 and a second substrate 119, which may be co-sealed by a seal 125 and a color conversion microlayer 112 'disposed therebetween. In some embodiments, The color conversion microlayer 112 'may have a thickness of less than about 20 μm, such as a range of about 5 μm to about 20 μm, or about 10 μm to about 15 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

In some embodiments, glass frit may be used to form a seal 125 between the first substrate 118 and the second substrate 119. In other embodiments, the thin inorganic film may be melted (eg, by laser heating) to form the seal 125. In other embodiments, the seal 125 may include a laser solder between two substrates, for example, without using glass frit or other intervening layers.

According to various embodiments, the first substrate 118 and the second substrate 119 may be transparent. The reflective layer 126 may be provided on one or more surfaces of the first substrate 118 and / or the second substrate 119 in areas that do not correspond to or align with the color conversion microlayer 112 'and / or the microlight source 111'. The one or more adhesive layers 124 may be used to bond the lens 100 to the first substrate 118 and / or the ring structure 117 '' to the PCB 122 'as required. The light source may be a micro light source 111 '(e.g., a micro LED) mounted on a transparent PCB 122 &apos; (e.g., a micro LED) (as illustrated), or in alternative embodiments, may include a conventional LED (not illustrated) mounted to an opaque PCB.

This article also discloses a color conversion assembly that includes a transparent substrate and a reflective substrate that are sealed together to form at least one cavity containing a color conversion medium, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of discontinuous rings. Cavities arranged like patterns. The present disclosure also relates to a color conversion assembly including a sub-assembly that includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are collectively sealed to form at least one cavity including a color conversion medium; and a transparent lens that communicates with the sub-assembly. The assembly is positioned by overlying registration, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of cavities arranged in a discontinuous annular pattern, and wherein the transparent lens includes a convex surface, and the convex shape At least a portion of the surface includes an equilateral spiral curvature. This document further discloses an optical assembly including these color conversion assemblies and at least one light emitting device.

As illustrated in Figures 13A-B, the color conversion assembly may include a first substrate 118 sealed to a second substrate 119, the sealed substrates defining at least one cavity 120 containing a color conversion medium 112. As depicted in FIG. 13A, the assembly may include more than one cavity, such as an array of cavities 120. In addition, as depicted in FIG. 13A, the single cavity 120 may be circular, or alternatively, a plurality of individual cavities may be assembled in a circular pattern (not illustrated). Such a color conversion assembly may be used as, for example, the ring structure 117 in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 8-12. As such, the at least one cavity 120 may at least partially circumscribe an optional aperture 128 that may be included, such as to receive a light source when optically coupled to the LED array.

Although FIG. 13A depicts an array of uniformly spaced apart annular cavities 120 of the same size and shape, it should be understood that the cavities 120 may define rings having any other shape, such as square, oval, rectangular, and similar shapes. In addition, it should be understood that all cavities 120 in the array need not be the same. In addition, it is not necessary for each cavity 120 to contain the same number or amount of color conversion media. This amount may vary from cavity to cavity, and for some cavities, color conversion media is not included, for example, to match Desired LED array.

Referring to any of the figures 8-13, the color conversion medium 112, 112 'may include at least one color conversion element. In some embodiments, the color conversion elements may be suspended in an organic or inorganic matrix, such as polysiloxane or other suitable materials. In some embodiments, the color conversion elements may be suspended in a thermal conductivity matrix. According to various embodiments, the color conversion material may be deposited as a layer having a thickness ranging from, for example, about 5 μm to about 400 μm, such as about 10 μm to about 300 μm, about 20 μm to about 200 μm, or about 50 μm to about 100 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. The at least one color conversion element may be selected, for example, from a phosphor, a quantum dot (QD), and a lighting body such as a fluorophore or a light emitting polymer, and the like. Exemplary phosphors may include, but are not limited to, red and green phosphors, such as yttrium and zinc sulfide-based phosphors, for example, yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), Eu ²⁺ doped red nitride , And combinations thereof.

The QD may have a varying shape and / or size depending on the desired wavelength of the emitted light. For example, the frequency of the emitted light may increase as the size of the quantum dot decreases. For example, the color of the emitted light may change from red to blue as the size of the quantum dot decreases. When illuminated with blue, UV, or near-UV light, quantum dots can convert light into longer red, yellow, green, or blue wavelengths. According to various embodiments, the color conversion element may be selected from QDs that emit at red and green wavelengths when illuminated with blue, UV, or near-UV light.

In various embodiments, at least one cavity 120 may contain the same or different types of color conversion elements, for example, elements that emit light of different wavelengths. For example, in some embodiments, the cavity may include a color conversion element that emits both green and red wavelengths to generate a red-green-blue (RGB) spectrum in the cavity. However, according to other embodiments, it is possible for individual cavities to contain only color conversion elements emitting the same wavelength, such as cavities containing only green quantum dots or cavities containing only red phosphors. In other embodiments, a single cavity may be subdivided, for example, like a spoke or pie block on a wheel, where every other sub-cavity is filled with a green conversion element and its complementary cavity is filled with a red conversion element. Such an embodiment may be suitable, for example, to avoid re-conversion of light, for example, blue to green and then green to red, or vice versa.

It is within the ability of those skilled in the art to choose the type and quantity of the configuration and placement of the cavities and to place in each cavity to achieve the desired display or luminous effect. In addition, although the red and green emitting elements are discussed above, it should be understood that any type of color conversion element can be used, which can emit light of any wavelength, including but not limited to those in the visible spectrum (e.g., about 420-750 nm) Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or any other color. For example, in solid state lighting applications, quantum dots of various sizes can be combined to mimic the output of a black body, which can provide excellent color rendering.

In the embodiments discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2-13, the lenses 100, 100 ', 100' ', the first substrate 118, and / or the second substrate 119 may, for example, include a transparent or substantially transparent material, such as glass Or plastic. As used herein, the term "transparent" is intended to mean that a lens, substrate, or material has a light transmission greater than about 80% in the visible spectral region (about 420-750 nm). For example, an exemplary transparent substrate or lens may have an optical transmission in the visible range of greater than about 85%, such as an optical transmission of greater than about 90%, or greater than about 95%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Suitable transparent materials may include, for example, any glass known in the art that is suitable for use in displays and other electronic devices. Exemplary glass may include, but is not limited to, aluminosilicate, alkali metal aluminosilicate, borosilicate, alkali metal borosilicate, aluminoborosilicate, alkali metal aluminoborosilicate, and other suitable glass. In various embodiments, these substrates may be chemically strengthened and / or thermally tempered. Non-limiting examples of suitable commercially available substrates include EAGLE XG®, Lotus ^™ , Iris ^™ , Willow®, and Gorilla® glass from Corning Incorporated, to name a few. Glass that has been chemically strengthened by ion exchange may be suitable as a substrate according to some non-limiting embodiments. In other embodiments, polymer materials such as plastic (e.g., polymethyl methacrylate "PMMA", methyl methacrylate styrene "MS", or polydimethylsiloxane "PDMS") may be used For suitable transparent materials.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the second substrate 119 may be a reflective substrate such as a metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, or a mixture thereof. Alternatively, the second substrate may include a transparent material (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.) or a non-transparent material (e.g., ceramic, glass ceramic, etc.), and the wall (if present) of the cavity 120 may be coated with a reflective material such as , Metal or oxide, alloy or its salt, etc.). One or more reflective surfaces in the cavity 120 may be advantageous in ensuring that light is scattered in a desired (forward) direction. For example, any light backscattered by a color conversion medium can be backscattered back into a desired direction by a reflective substrate (or reflective surface). In addition, any blue (unconverted) light reflected off the reflective substrate (or reflective surface) may have a second chance to be converted to a desired wavelength when it passes through the color conversion material in the opposite direction.

In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to construct the second substrate 119 from a thermally conductive material such as a metal and / or ceramic to promote heat dissipation from the color conversion medium 112. Exemplary ceramic materials include aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, and silicon carbide, to name a few. Exemplary reflective metals include, but are not limited to, Al, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu, other similar metals, and alloys thereof. According to various embodiments, the second substrate 119 may be constructed at least partially from an inorganic substrate such as an inorganic substrate having a thermal conductivity greater than that of glass. For example, suitable inorganic substrates may include their substrates having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as greater than about 2.5 W / mK (e.g., greater than about 2.6, 3, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 W / mK), for example, ranging from about 2.5 W / mK to about 100 W / mK, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the inorganic substrate may be greater than 100 W / mK, such as in the range of about 100 W / mK to about 300 W / mK (e.g., greater than about 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, or 300 W / mK), including all ranges and subranges in between.

In another embodiment, referring to FIGS. 8-13, an air-tight seal may be used to combine the first substrate and the second substrate (the ring structure 117, 117 ") and / or the lens and the second substrate (the ring structure 117 '). Hermetic sealing can also be used to incorporate any other component of the optical assembly, such as bonding the lens to a ring structure. For example, the substrate and / or lens may be hermetically sealed so that the ring structure 117, 117 ', 117 "is impermeable or substantially impermeable to water, moisture, air, and / or other contaminants. By way of non-limiting example, Hermetic seals can be configured to limit the evapotranspiration (diffusion) of oxygen to less than about 10 ^-2 cm ³ / m ² / day (for example, less than about 10 ' ³ / cm ³ / m ² / day) and to limit the evapotranspiration of water to About 10 ^-2 g / m ² / day (eg, less than about 10 ^-3 , 10 ^-4 , 10 ^-5 , or 10 ^-6 g / m ² / day). In various embodiments, the hermetic seal may be substantially Protect water, moisture, and / or air from components that are protected by hermetic seals (eg, color conversion media and / or light sources).

Instead of transmitting light directly through the color conversion medium ("transmission" mode), the optical assembly disclosed herein may be configured such that light emitted by a light source is reflected one or more times, such as using a lens disclosed herein, in a larger Light propagates over the area before it hits the color conversion medium ("reflective" mode). As a result, the luminous flux in the device can be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude. In other words, the reflected light hitting the color conversion medium has an intensity that is less than 1% of the other intensity of the light originally transmitted from the light source. In addition, because light can be reflected from a reflective surface under a color conversion medium, a reflection mode configuration can have the added benefit of passing light through the color conversion medium more than once, thus increasing its chances of conversion to different wavelengths.

In addition, using a "remote" configuration in which the color conversion medium is separated from the light source, combined with the "reflection" mode not only reduces the exposed luminous flux of the medium and / or matrix, but also provides an additional heat dissipation path for dissipating any generated heat . In addition, the "remote" configuration has the additional advantage of allowing the LED to operate at cooler temperatures and therefore more efficiently, as it does not need to act as a thermal path for cooling the color conversion medium (e.g., as in a conformal phosphor coating). situation). The life of the optical assembly can therefore be extended compared to prior art devices, which is attributed to one or more of the aforementioned advantages. Device

The lenses and optical assemblies depicted in Figures 2-13 can be used in a variety of applications, including but not limited to display and lighting applications. For example, a lighting device such as a lighting fixture or a solid state light emitting device may include an optical assembly disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the optical assembly can be used alone or in an array to simulate the wideband output of the sun. These assemblies may, for example, include color conversion elements of various types and / or sizes that emit at various wavelengths, such as visible light wavelengths ranging from 420-750 nm.

For example, a "white" LED can be produced by coating a blue-emitting LED with a polysiloxane / phosphor paste. However, polysilicon can darken over time after prolonged exposure to LED light flux and heat. The optical assemblies disclosed herein can be used in such light emitting devices to reduce the exposed luminous flux of the color conversion medium and / or matrix, and / or provide additional or alternative thermal paths to dissipate the light generated by the LED and / or color conversion medium. heat. Embodiments including one or more glass substrates may also have the additional advantage of maintaining optical clarity for a longer period of time compared to plastic substrates.

According to various embodiments, the optical assemblies disclosed herein may be incorporated into a backlight unit (BLU) in a display device, such as an LCD. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the BLU 127 and a liquid crystal (LC) panel 129 may be incorporated into a display device such as a television, a computer, a handheld device, or the like. The BLU 127 may include an array of light sources 111 mounted to a PCB 122 that may be attached to a heat sink 123. As illustrated, the PCB 122 may be equipped with a plurality of thermal vias 130 that may be positioned to provide a heat dissipation path for the light source 111 and the color conversion medium 112. In some embodiments, the thermal vias 130 may include holes or apertures in the PCB 122 filled with a conductive material (eg, metal, such as Cu, Ag, etc.), thereby allowing heat transfer from one side of the PCB 122 to the other side And go to the heat sink 123 (if any). Although a single heat sink 123 is illustrated in FIG. 14, more than one heat sink 123 may be provided. For example, separate heat dissipation may be provided for the color conversion medium 112 and for the LED 111, which may further isolate the color conversion medium from the heat generated by the LED.

As depicted in FIG. 14, an array of lenses 100 may be optically coupled to an array of light sources 111. One or more adhesive layers 124 may be included as needed to improve adhesion between various components of the BLU 127 and / or between the BLU 127 and the LC panel 129. An additional layer may be provided between the BLU 127 and the LC panel 129, such as a diffuser layer 131, and another layer may be provided between the lenses 100, such as a reflective wall 132. In some embodiments, it may not be desirable to completely isolate individual optical assemblies from each other, and additional layers 131, 132 may be modified or removed accordingly to allow for a desired amount of light leakage between the assemblies.

This document further discloses a light conversion device comprising a transparent substrate having a first surface and a relatively light emitting surface; a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface; and a reflective layer disposed on the first surface and packaging At least a portion of the color conversion medium. Exemplary light conversion devices include, for example, a light guide plate (LGP) and a light guide assembly. For example, as depicted in Figures 15A-B, the first surface 133 of the LGP 134 may be patterned with a color conversion medium 112, which may be sealed or encapsulated with a protective layer such as a reflective layer 135. In a non-limiting embodiment, the reflective layer may include a thin metal film, such as a thin film including one or more of Al, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu, and alloys thereof. In some embodiments, the reflective layer 135 may include a material with high thermal conductivity, for example, it can dissipate heat from the color conversion medium. In addition, the reflective layer 135 may include a ductile material capable of expanding and / or expanding under thermal stress (for example, due to thermal expansion of the color conversion material) without generating cracks or pinholes. The reflective layer 135 may thus serve as a heat sink that dissipates heat from the color conversion medium 112 and / or as a sealing barrier that prevents the color conversion medium 112 from being degraded by moisture and / or air.

The light source 111 may be coupled to an edge (light incident) surface of the LGP 134. If desired, the reflector 140 may be attached to the opposite edge of the LGP. The light 110 propagating through the LGP 134 can be attributed to the TIR reflection within the LGP until hitting the area containing the color conversion medium 112, at which point the light can be scattered forward as the transmitted light 110 'across the light emitting (second) surface 136. The color conversion medium may also modify the light 110 so that the transmitted light 110 'has a wavelength different from the original wavelength of the light 110. Thus, the light guide assembly depicted in Figures 15A-B can integrate various layers, which are conventionally included as separate BLU components. For example, the color conversion medium may be integrated on the first surface 133 of the LGP 134 instead of being supplied as a separate film on the light source 111 or in a BLU stack. In addition, the reflective layer 135 may be integrated on the first surface 133 instead of including another component separate from the LGP 134 in the conventional BLU stack.

Conventional LGPs can be optically coupled to white LEDs, for example, blue LEDs coated with a color conversion medium such as a polysiloxane / phosphor paste that converts blue light to white light. White paint or other light scattering features may be provided on the surface of the LGP to scatter light into a desired forward direction. However, using the integrated color converter configuration disclosed herein, it is possible to replace a conventional white LED with a blue LED and a white paint system with a color conversion material encapsulated by a reflective layer. The integrated color conversion medium on the surface of the LGP can thus perform the following dual functions: to scatter blue light forward in the desired direction and convert blue light to white light. Therefore, in some embodiments, a conventional phosphor-coated white LED can be replaced by a blue LED coupled to an LGP patterned with QD. Because QD has a narrower emission spectrum than phosphors, the resulting assembly can have an improved color gamut. Of course, in other embodiments, the LGP may be patterned with color conversion elements other than QD, such as phosphors, fluorophores, and the like.

Although FIG. 15A depicts an LGP including a continuous reflective layer 135, some embodiments may also integrate a discontinuous reflective layer 135 ', such as the one illustrated in FIG. 15B. Because metals such as aluminum can be slightly absorbent, continuous reflective metal coatings can cause slight attenuation of LGP. Thus, in some embodiments, the reflective layer may be provided only in areas corresponding to the deposits of the color conversion medium 112. Thus, the region 137 of the LGP may have a glass / air or plastic / air interface, thereby allowing a larger TIR. In addition, although not illustrated, the surface 133 of the LGP 134 corresponding to the region 137 may have other light scattering features, such as white scattering particles, which may be used to achieve a desired color balance for light transmitted through the LGP 134. Light scattering features such as TiO ₂ particles may be printed on the surface 133 of the LGP 134 and / or light scattering features may be provided by damaging the surface 133 of the LGP 134 by etching or laser.

In an alternative embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 15C, an ink layer 138 may be provided between the color conversion medium 112 and the reflective layer 135. Ink layer 138 may comprise, for example, a white reflective ink, such as metal oxides (e.g., TiO _2), and may be used to partially or fully reflective layer 135 from the view is obscured. If necessary, the ink layer 138 may be applied along the entire length of the surface 133, even in areas where the color conversion medium 112 does not exist, as shown in FIG. 15C. Alternatively, the ink layer 138 may be provided only in a region containing the color conversion medium 112.

According to various embodiments, the color conversion medium and / or light scattering features may be suitably patterned on the surface 133 such that the light emitting surface 136 across the LGP produces a substantially uniform light output intensity. In other embodiments, the color conversion medium and / or light scattering features may be patterned to produce an uneven light output intensity across the surface 136. In some embodiments, the density of the color conversion medium and / or light scattering features immediately adjacent to the light source 111 may be lower than the density at a point further removed from the light source, or vice versa, such as a gradient from one end to the other , As appropriate, to produce the desired light output distribution across the LGP.

Configurations other than the edge-lit LGP are also possible and are envisioned to fall within the scope of this application. For example, a backlit LGP may also benefit from an integrated color conversion medium as described herein. In addition, light conversion devices are not limited to BLU applications, but can also be applied to solid state lighting applications. For illustrative purposes, three exemplary non-limiting light emitting configurations are depicted in Figures 16A-C. A variety of light emitting configurations can be envisaged using various light sources 111 (eg, linear lights such as fluorescent light bulbs), the shape and / or size of the substrate 139 (eg, 设想), and / or the position of the reflector 140. The types and / or positions of the color conversion medium 112 and the reflective layer 135 may also differ between configurations and configurations. method

Disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing a light conversion device, the methods including patterning a color conversion medium on a first surface of a substrate, and depositing a protective layer on the first surface to package the color conversion medium, wherein the substrate Or one of the protective layers contains a reflective material. This article also discloses a method for manufacturing an optical assembly, which includes depositing the color conversion medium in a circular pattern, positioning a light-emitting device within a periphery of the circular pattern, and registering the light-emitting device and the color conversion medium Way to position the transparent lens.

In various embodiments, the substrate may be a transparent substrate and the protective layer may include at least one metal. Alternatively, the substrate may be a reflective substrate including at least one metal, and the protective layer may include at least one transparent inorganic oxide. In addition, the substrate may include at least one cavity having at least one reflective surface, and the protective layer may include at least one transparent inorganic oxide.

The color conversion medium can be deposited on the first surface of the substrate using any method known in the art. Suitable deposition methods may include printing, such as inkjet printing, screen printing, microprinting, and the like; coating, such as spin coating, slot coating, dip coating, and the like; drop-casting ; Removal, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, droplets of the color conversion medium suspended in one or more solvents may be deposited on the first surface in any desired pattern. Solvents can be removed by drying at ambient or elevated temperatures as needed. As used herein, the term "patterned" is intended to mean that the color conversion medium is present on the first surface in any given pattern or design, which may be, for example, random or arranged, repeating or non-repeating , Uniform or uneven. As discussed above, the pattern may also include a gradient from one end to the other end of the substrate.

The method for depositing the protective layer may include, for example, a sputtering or vapor deposition process. For example, a color conversion medium may be deposited on a first surface of a transparent substrate such as a glass or plastic substrate, and a protective metal film may be subsequently sputtered or evaporated on the first surface to at least partially encapsulate the color conversion medium. Alternatively, a color conversion medium may be deposited on the first surface of the reflective substrate and a protective inorganic oxide layer may be sputtered or evaporated on the first surface. In various embodiments, the substrate and the protective layer may form an airtight capsule containing a color conversion medium therein. In further embodiments, the substrate may include one or more cavities in which a color conversion medium may be deposited. The cavity may be provided in the substrate, for example, by pressing, molding, cutting, or any other suitable method. According to further embodiments, the protective layer may have a thickness in the following range: about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm, such as about 0.5 μm to about 9 μm, about 1 μm to about 8 μm, about 2 μm to about 7 μm, and about 3 μm To about 6 μm, or about 4 μm to about 5 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

The color conversion assemblies disclosed herein can be manufactured using a variety of methods. For example, the color conversion medium may be encapsulated between the first substrate and the second substrate using a pair of rollers embossed with recesses corresponding to a desired cavity shape (eg, a ring or ring pattern). In various embodiments, the embossing roller may be operated at a temperature and / or pressure sufficient to promote fusing of the first substrate and the second substrate. In the case of a circular cavity or pattern, additional processing steps may include providing a hole or aperture in the center of the ring. Such holes can be cut or stamped into the first substrate and the second substrate using any method known in the art.

Alternative methods for forming a color conversion assembly may include molding. For example, one or more substrates constituting the ring structure may be molded to include at least one cavity. In some embodiments, the transparent lens may be molded to include at least one cavity. After the cavity is filled with the color conversion medium, the molded substrate and / or lens may then be bonded together, for example, using an adhesive or other sealing techniques such as laser sealing. The sputtering and vapor deposition processes discussed above with respect to the light conversion device can also be adapted to form the color conversion assembly disclosed herein.

Another method for forming a color conversion assembly may include depositing a color conversion medium on a substrate in a desired pattern (e.g.,

It will be understood that various disclosed embodiments may involve specific features, elements or steps described in connection with that particular embodiment. It should also be understood that although a particular feature, element, or step is described with respect to a particular embodiment, it may be interchanged or combined with alternative embodiments in various non-illustrated combinations or permutations.

It should also be understood that as used herein, the terms "the" and "an" mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one" unless explicitly indicated to the contrary. Thus, for example, reference to "a cavity" includes examples having one such "cavity" or two or more such "cavities" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, "plurality" or "array" is intended to mean two or more such that "array of cavities" or "plurality of cavities" means two or more such cavities.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, examples include from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when a value is expressed as an approximate value by using the antecedent "about", it is understood that a specific value forms another aspect. It should be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant relative to the other endpoint and independently of the other endpoint.

All numerical values expressed herein are to be construed to include "about," whether or not so stated, unless expressly stated otherwise. It should be further understood, however, that every numerical value recited is also accurately covered, whether or not it is expressed as "about" that value. Therefore, both the "size of less than 10 mm" and the "size of less than about 10 mm" include embodiments of "the size of less than about 10 mm" and "the size of less than 10 mm."

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is by no means intended to interpret any method set forth herein as requiring its steps to be performed in a particular order. Therefore, it is by no means intended to infer any particular order in the case where the method claim does not actually describe the order in which its steps follow or in the scope of the invention application patent or the specification does not otherwise explicitly state that the steps should be limited to a particular order.

Although the transitional phrase "including" may be used to reveal various features, elements, or steps of a particular embodiment, it should be understood that the inclusion of the transitional phrase "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of" Alternatives to those described are described. Thus, for example, alternative embodiments implied by the method including A + B + C include embodiments where the method consists of A + B + C and embodiments where the method consists primarily of A + B + C.

Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Because the modified combinations, sub-combinations, and changes of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of this disclosure can be considered by those skilled in the art, this disclosure should be construed to include the scope of patents for accompanying inventions and the like Everything in the category of effects.

1‧‧‧QD reinforced film
2‧‧‧LED
3‧‧‧printed circuit board
4‧‧‧ light
5‧‧‧ LCD panel
6‧‧‧BLU
7‧‧‧ heat sink
8‧‧‧ Free or forced convection air power
100‧‧‧ exemplary lens
100'‧‧‧ linear lens
101‧‧‧ contact surface
101'‧‧‧ contact surface
102‧‧‧ convex surface / convex lens surface
102'‧‧‧ convex surface
103‧‧‧ central area
104‧‧‧ Negative Rotation Sanya Sag
105‧‧‧Truncation surface
106‧‧‧ Recess / Incision
107‧‧‧ Vertex
108‧‧‧ vertical centerline
109‧‧‧ vertical centerline
110‧‧‧line / light / light
110'‧‧‧ transmitted light / transmitted light
111‧‧‧light source
111'‧‧‧light source array / micro light source
112‧‧‧color conversion media
112'‧‧‧Color Conversion Microlayer
113‧‧‧Top right corner
114‧‧‧Reflective layer
115‧‧‧ Clearance
116‧‧‧ boundary or maximum
117‧‧‧ ring structure
117'‧‧‧ ring structure
117``‧‧‧ ring structure
118‧‧‧First substrate
119‧‧‧second substrate
120‧‧‧ Cavity
120'‧‧‧ Cavity
121‧‧‧ recess
122‧‧‧Printed Circuit Board / PCB
122'‧‧‧PCB
123‧‧‧ heat sink
124‧‧‧ Adhesive layer
125‧‧‧seals
126‧‧‧Reflective layer
127‧‧‧BLU
128‧‧‧Optional aperture
129‧‧‧LCD panel / LC panel
130‧‧‧Hot through hole
131‧‧‧ diffuser layer / layer
132‧‧‧Reflecting wall / layer
133‧‧‧first surface
134‧‧‧LGP
135‧‧‧Reflective layer
135'‧‧‧ discrete reflection layer
136‧‧‧luminescent surface
137‧‧‧area
138‧‧‧ Ink layer
139‧‧‧ substrate
140‧‧‧ reflector

The following detailed description can be further understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings. Where possible, the same numbers are used to refer to the same elements, and:

FIG 1 illustrates a first embodiment of an exemplary LCD assembly;

Cross-sectional view of the lens of the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A-C in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG . 3A is a diagram illustrating total internal reflection (TIR) in a lens according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG .

FIG . 3B illustrates a topological surface diagram of an exemplary lens formed by rotating the curve of FIG . 3A about its axis of rotation;

FIG . 4 illustrates a coordinate system for constructing a rotationally symmetric lens according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG . 5 illustrates a constant incidence angle curve according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG . 6 illustrates a perspective view of a linear lens according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG . 7 illustrates an array of lenses according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG . 8 illustrates an optical assembly according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG . 9 illustrates an array of optical assemblies according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG 10-12 illustrates an embodiment of an optical assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure;

The first embodiment shown in FIG. 13A-B plane of the patterned color-conversion assembly, and a cross-sectional view;

FIG . 14 illustrates an exemplary display device including a BLU assembly according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure;

The first embodiment of FIG. 15A-C illustrates an exemplary light guide plate comprising (light guide plate; LGP); color conversion of the patterned medium and

The first embodiment shown in FIG. 16A-C comprises a color conversion medium and exemplary patterned layer of reflective light conversion means.

Domestic hosting information (please note in order of hosting institution, date, and number) None

Information on foreign deposits (please note in order of deposit country, institution, date, and number) None

100‧‧‧ exemplary lens

101‧‧‧ contact surface

102‧‧‧ convex surface / convex lens surface

103‧‧‧ central area

104‧‧‧ Negative Rotation Sanya Sag

105‧‧‧Truncation surface

106‧‧‧ Recess / Incision

107‧‧‧ Vertex

108‧‧‧ vertical centerline

Claims (58)

An optical assembly comprising: a light-emitting device disposed on a first surface of a substrate; a ring structure including a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a transparent lens, It is positioned in a manner of registering with the light emitting device and the ring structure; wherein the color conversion medium is spaced apart from the light emitting device and at least partially externally connects the light emitting device. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the ring structure includes at least one cavity containing the color conversion medium. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one cavity is hermetically sealed. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one cavity comprises a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of cavities arranged in a discontinuous annular pattern. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the ring structure includes a reflective surface and a relatively transparent surface, and wherein the reflective surface is in contact with the first surface of the substrate. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the ring structure includes a transparent substrate and a second substrate, and the substrates are sealed together to form at least one cavity containing the color conversion medium. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the transparent substrate is selected from glass and polymer, and wherein the second substrate is a reflective substrate. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein the reflective substrate is selected from a metal, a metal alloy, or a metal oxide substrate or a ceramic or glass-ceramic substrate, and the ceramic or glass-ceramic substrate comprises a metal, a metal alloy, or The metal oxide layer is coated on at least one surface. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent lens includes at least one cavity containing the color conversion medium, and wherein the ring structure is defined by the transparent lens and a second reflective substrate. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ring structure includes a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate, and the substrates are sealed with a microlayer of a color conversion medium disposed therebetween, the microlayer having The thickness ranges from about 5 μm to about 20 μm. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the transparent lens includes a convex surface, and wherein at least a portion of the convex surface includes an equiangular spiral curvature. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent lens is selected from the group consisting of a single leaf shape and a double leaf shape linear lens. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent lens includes a contact surface, a convex surface, and a central area disposed therebetween, and wherein the convex surface includes a negative rotation three extending into the central area.稜鏡 depression. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the contact surface is a rotationally symmetric plane surface, and the convex surface is a rotationally symmetric hemispherical surface. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the negative-rotational tri-sag depression comprises a hollow cone region, the hollow cone region is positioned in a manner registering with the light-emitting device, and wherein a vertex of the hollow cone region Point at the contact surface of the transparent lens. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the color conversion medium comprises at least one color conversion element selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, and illuminants. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the color conversion medium is disposed on the first surface of the substrate so that light emitted from the light emitting device and reflected by the convex surface of the transparent lens is incident on the On at least a portion of a color conversion medium. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the color conversion medium is disposed in a plane extending around a periphery of the light emitting device, and wherein the light emitting device does not directly emit light into the plane of the color conversion medium. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the color conversion medium does not physically contact the light emitting device. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one heat sink in contact with a second surface of the substrate. An optical array comprising a plurality of assemblies according to claim 1. A display device, an electronic device, or a lighting device, comprising the optical assembly according to claim 1 or the optical array according to claim 21. A color conversion assembly includes: a sub-assembly including a first substrate and a second substrate that are collectively sealed to form at least one cavity including a color conversion medium; and a transparent lens that communicates with the lens The sub-assembly is positioned by overlying registration, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of cavities arranged in a discontinuous annular pattern; and wherein the transparent lens includes a convex surface, And at least a part of the convex surface includes an equiangular spiral curvature. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the first substrate is a transparent substrate and the second substrate is a reflective substrate. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein a contact surface of the transparent lens is in physical contact with the transparent substrate. The assembly according to claim 25, wherein the contact surface is a rotationally symmetric plane surface, and the convex surface is a rotationally symmetric hemispherical surface. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the convex surface further comprises a negatively rotating triplex depression, the negatively rotating triplex depression having an apex directed to a contact surface of the transparent lens. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the color conversion medium comprises at least one color conversion element selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, and illuminants. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are hermetically sealed together. An optical assembly comprising the assembly according to claim 23 and at least one light emitting device. The optical assembly of claim 30, wherein the at least one cavity is externally connected to the at least one light emitting device. The optical assembly of claim 30, wherein the at least one light-emitting device is positioned in a recess in the first substrate of the sub-assembly. The optical assembly of claim 32, wherein the at least one light emitting device is a micro LED. A display device, an electronic device, or a lighting device, comprising a color conversion assembly according to claim 23 or an optical assembly according to claim 30. A color conversion assembly includes a transparent substrate and a reflective substrate, which are sealed together to form at least one cavity containing a color conversion medium, wherein the at least one cavity includes a continuous annular cavity or a plurality of cavities. Cavities arranged in a discontinuous circular pattern. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the transparent substrate is selected from glass and polymer, and wherein the reflective substrate is selected from metal, metal alloy, or metal oxide substrate or ceramic or glass ceramic substrate, such ceramics Or the glass ceramic substrate includes at least one surface coated with a metal, metal alloy, or metal oxide layer. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the color conversion medium comprises at least one color conversion element selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, and illuminants. An optical assembly comprising the color conversion assembly according to claim 35 and at least one light emitting device. A light conversion device includes: a transparent substrate having a first surface and a relatively light-emitting surface; a color conversion medium disposed on the first surface; and a reflective layer disposed on the first surface And encapsulating at least a part of the color conversion medium. The device of claim 39, wherein the color conversion medium includes at least one color conversion element selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, and illuminants. The device of claim 39, wherein the transparent substrate is selected from glass and polymers, and wherein the reflective layer includes at least one metal thin film. The device according to claim 41, wherein the metal thin film is discontinuous. The device according to claim 41, further comprising at least one light scattering feature disposed in at least one region of the first surface corresponding to a void in the discontinuous metal film. The device according to claim 41, further comprising a white reflective layer disposed between the color conversion medium and the metal thin film. The device according to claim 44, wherein the white reflective layer is discontinuous. A light guide assembly comprising a device as described in claim 39 optically coupled to at least one light source. The light guide assembly of claim 46, wherein the at least one light source is optically coupled to the first surface of the transparent substrate. The light guide assembly of claim 46, wherein the at least one light source is optically coupled to an edge surface of the transparent substrate. The light guide assembly according to claim 48, wherein the color conversion medium is patterned on the first surface with a gradient, the gradient having a gradually increasing density that varies with distance from the at least one light source. The light guide assembly according to claim 46, wherein the at least one light source is a light-emitting diode that emits one of ultraviolet light, near-ultraviolet light, or blue light. A method for manufacturing a light conversion device includes the following steps: patterning a color conversion medium on a first surface of a substrate, and depositing a protective layer on the first surface to encapsulate the color conversion medium, wherein One of the substrate or the protective layer includes a reflective material. The method according to claim 51, wherein the substrate is a transparent substrate selected from one of glass and polymer, and wherein the protective layer comprises at least one metal. The method of claim 51, wherein the substrate is a reflective substrate including at least one metal, and the protective layer includes at least one transparent inorganic oxide. The method of claim 51, wherein the substrate includes at least one cavity having at least one reflective surface, and the protective layer includes at least one transparent inorganic oxide. The method according to claim 51, wherein the protective layer is deposited by vapor deposition or sputtering. The method according to claim 51, wherein the color conversion medium comprises at least one color conversion element selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, and illuminants. The method according to claim 51, wherein the color conversion medium is deposited on the first surface in a circular pattern. The method according to claim 57, further comprising the steps of: forming an optical assembly by positioning a light emitting device within a periphery of the circular pattern, and overlaying the light emitting device and the color conversion medium Position a transparent lens by registration.