MicroLED with integrated controllable beam steering and/or shaping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247935-B2
Application number	US-201615203060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The disclosed examples relate to various implementations of a micro-light emitting diode upon which is built a controllable variable optic to provide a chip-scale light emitting device. An example of the controllable variable optic described herein is a controllable electrowetting structure having a leak-proof sealed cell with a first fluid having a first index of refraction and a second fluid having a second index of refraction. The controllable electrowetting structure may be integrally formed on or in a substrate or semiconductor material associated with the micro-light emitting diode in alignment with one or more of the light emitting diodes of the micro-LED device to provide a controllable lighting distribution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chip-scale device, comprising:
a light emitting semiconductor that emits light, the light emitting semiconductor being formed on a first substrate;
a collimating beam structure formed on or from a second substrate, the collimating beam structure coupled to the light emitting semiconductor and configured to collimate a beam of light emitted by the light emitting semiconductor; and
an electrowetting structure coupled within the collimating beam structure, wherein the electrowetting structure comprises:
(a) a first fluid having a first index of refraction and that is electrically conductive;
(b) a second fluid having an index of refraction greater than the first index of refraction of the first fluid;
(c) a sealing layer that seals the first fluid and the second fluid within the electrowetting structure, wherein light emitted from the light emitting semiconductor passes through the collimating beam structure and the electrowetting structure; and
(d) electrodes coupled to the first liquid and coupled to a voltage source;

wherein the second substrate extends longitudinally from a direction of the first substrate.

2. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first substrate bears the light emitting semiconductor;
the second substrate is attached to the first substrate; and
the collimating beam structure is etched from the second substrate.

3. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reflective material inserted along a surface of the collimating beam structure, wherein the reflective material further collimates light output by the light emitting semiconductor.

4. The chip-scale device of claim 3 , wherein the reflective material is a conductive metal usable as one or more of the electrodes coupled to the first liquid.

5. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first substrate and the second substrate are wafer bonded together to form a single substrate structure incorporating the light emitting semiconductor, the collimating beam structure, and the electrowetting structure.

6. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first substrate and the second substrate are elements of an integrated single piece of substrate, and
the light emitting semiconductor is fabricated on the first substrate prior to the etching of the collimating beam structure of the second substrate.

7. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes further comprises:
a layer of electrodes formed on the substrate wall electrically coupled with the first fluid, configured for connection to a selectively variable voltage source to control a geometry of a meniscus between the first and second fluids.

8. A light emitting array, comprising:
a plurality of chip-scale light source devices arranged in a group, wherein each of the plurality of chip-scale light source devices in the group includes:
a lighting emitting semiconductor;
a collimating beam structure; and
an individually, controllable electrowetting structure, wherein the lighting emitting semiconductor, collimating beam structure, and controllable electrowetting structure in each light source device are centered about a central axis of the light source device, wherein:
each light emitting semiconductor is formed on a first substrate;
each collimating beam structure is:
configured to collimate a beam of light emitted by a corresponding one of the plurality of light emitting semiconductors, and
formed on or from a second substrate that extends longitudinally from a direction of the first substrate; and

each electrowetting structure is configured to vary light emitted by an light emitting semiconductor aligned with the electrowetting structure.

9. The lighting array of claim 8 , the collimating beam structure of each chip-scale light source device further comprising:
an interior space within exterior walls, wherein the electrowetting structure is disposed within the interior space of the collimating beam structure of each light source device.

10. The lighting array of claim 8 , wherein each electrowetting structure comprises:
(a) a first fluid having a first index of refraction and that is electrically conductive;
(b) a second fluid having an index of refraction greater than the first index of refraction of the first fluid;
(c) a sealing layer that seals the first fluid and the second fluid within the electrowetting structure, wherein light emitted from the light emitting semiconductor passes through the collimating beam structure and the electrowetting structure; and
(d) electrodes coupled to the first liquid and coupled to a voltage source.

11. The array of claim 8 , wherein the first substrate of each light emitting semiconductor is separate from first substrates of the other light emitting semiconductors of individual light source devices of the plurality of light source devices.

12. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate encloses the electrowetting structure.

13. The chip-scale device of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate extends longitudinally upwards from the first substrate.

14. The lighting array of claim 8 , wherein the second substrate encloses the electrowetting structure.

15. The lighting array of claim 8 , wherein the second substrate extends longitudinally upwards from the first substrate.

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Mao An
• Lin Guan-Bo
• Rains Jr Jack C
• Ramer David P

Classifications

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• F21V7/24

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• G02B3/14

  of variable focal length · CPC title

• H10H29/142

  Two-dimensional arrangements, e.g. asymmetric LED layout · CPC title

• H10H20/856

  Reflecting means · CPC title