Lighting devices

Abstract

According to the present invention, the lighting device includes: at least one semiconductor layer; at least one light emitting surface including an array of high-brightness areas and low-brightness areas, the high-brightness areas are configured to emit light at a first local brightness level, and the low-brightness areas are configured not to emit light or to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level; a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices formed in the semiconductor layer to define a plurality of high-brightness areas; wherein the high-brightness areas and the low-brightness areas are arranged according to a predefined light emission profile of the light emitting surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lighting device comprising at least one semiconductor layer and at least one light emitting surface, wherein high brightness areas and low brightness areas of the light emitting surface are arranged according to a predefined light emission profile. Background Art

[0002] Lighting devices including semiconductor light emitting devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), can form advantageous light sources in many application areas, including handheld battery-powered devices, such as cameras and cellular phones, automotive applications, including automotive headlights or taillights, and the like. Semiconductor light emitting devices can be arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array, wherein individual semiconductor light emitting devices act as individual pixels. Examples of such arrangements include micro-LED arrays or matrices (two-dimensional arrays), which typically include pixels having a width of about 100 μm or less (e.g., 40 μm). Such pixels can be separated, for example, by notches, grooves, or gaps having a width of, for example, 20 μm or less (e.g., 5 μm). An exemplary micro-LED array is disclosed in US 2019 / 0198564 A1.

[0003] When used, for example, in automotive headlight applications, semiconductor light emitting devices are often combined with optical elements (such as collimating lenses) to direct the light in the desired direction and avoid, for example, upward projection of light to avoid undesirable glare for oncoming road users. The headlight beam profile can be shaped by using dedicated and specially tailored optical elements to map multiple brightness images of the light source onto each other (in the Fourier plane of the optics).

[0004] However, while such optics can be tailored to a satisfactory quality, there is still room for improvement. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device which allows an improved light emission, enabling an improved mapping of the light source image, for example for automotive headlight applications. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a lighting device and to the use of the lighting device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device comprising at least one semiconductor layer; at least one light emitting surface comprising an array of high brightness areas and low brightness areas, the high brightness areas being configured to emit light at a first local brightness level, the low brightness areas being configured not to emit light and / or to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level; a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices formed in the semiconductor layer to define a plurality of high brightness areas; wherein the high brightness areas and the low brightness areas are arranged according to a predefined light emission profile of the light emitting surface.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a lighting device, the method comprising: providing at least one semiconductor layer; providing at least one light emitting surface having an array of high-brightness areas and low-brightness areas, the high-brightness areas being configured to emit light at a first local brightness level, the low-brightness areas being configured not to emit light or to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level; forming a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices in the semiconductor layer to define a plurality of high-brightness areas; and arranging the high-brightness areas and the low-brightness areas according to a predefined light emission profile of the light emitting surface.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use of the lighting device according to the first aspect for automotive lighting, in particular for automotive headlight applications.

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the first, second and third aspects of the present invention may have one or more of the properties described below.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, at least one semiconductor layer may be a layer (e.g., an epitaxial layer) formed of a suitable material on a suitable substrate to emit photons when excited. Suitable materials include sapphire, GaN, or silicon. In an exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor layer includes an n-type region (a region doped with an n-type dopant), a p-type region (a region doped with a p-type dopant), and an active layer between the n-type region and the p-type region.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device (e.g., each of a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices) is formed in a semiconductor layer, for example by appropriately electrically contacting the n-type region using an n-contact and by appropriately electrically contacting the p-type region using a suitable p-contact, wherein the n-contact is formed in a corresponding trench that separates a high-brightness region defined by the semiconductor light-emitting device from an adjacent high-brightness region (an adjacent semiconductor light-emitting device) or an adjacent low-brightness region (e.g., a non-electrically contacted semiconductor light-emitting device, or one of a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices connected in parallel to a power source).

[0012] According to the first aspect, the light emitting surface includes an array of high brightness areas (e.g., effective pixels) and low brightness areas (e.g., low brightness pixels or standby pixels). In an exemplary embodiment, the high brightness areas correspond to the light emitting surfaces of the corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices, respectively. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the low brightness areas may correspond to the surfaces of the corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices that are not electrically connected (not connectable) to the power supply and / or connected in parallel to the power supply, respectively. In the latter case, by electrically connecting the corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices in parallel and connecting the semiconductor light emitting devices of the high brightness areas in series, the brightness of the low brightness areas can be adjusted to be quite low (e.g., equal to or close to zero) compared to the high brightness areas. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the first local brightness level of the high brightness area is significantly higher than the second local brightness level of the low brightness area. In a preferred embodiment, the first local brightness level of the high brightness area is at least 3 to 10 times higher than the second local brightness level of the low brightness area, for example, a multiple selected from the group of multiples 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Given the differences in brightness, it becomes possible to advantageously customize the light emission profile of a light source used, for example, in a car headlight, by arranging high brightness areas and low brightness areas according to a predefined light emission profile. Thus, the lighting device according to the first aspect of the invention advantageously allows the light emission pattern to be customized by arranging high brightness areas and low brightness areas, and thus allows the emission characteristics of the corresponding light source to be optimized according to a given application. For example, it becomes possible to customize the emission characteristics to optimize for automotive headlight applications, where, for example, upward projection of light is avoided in order to prevent undesirable glare for oncoming road users. At the same time, therefore, the use of a light source with an improved emission profile according to the first aspect can even use existing optical elements to further improve quality and efficiency, while the quality requirements regarding the optical elements used can be relaxed, so that even with optical elements of lower quality and cost, suitable results can be achieved.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the array of high brightness regions and low brightness regions includes a low brightness region configured not to emit light and a low brightness region configured to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level. For example, by providing a low brightness region configured to emit light at the second local brightness level at a transition between the high brightness region and the low brightness region configured not to emit light, a smooth brightness transition can be generated, which can support an advantageous image in the corresponding Fourier plane in some applications.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device according to the first aspect further comprises a plurality of grooves (or notches or gaps) formed in at least one semiconductor layer, which define or separate high brightness areas and low brightness areas. Such grooves may be formed, for example, by suitable etching techniques, and may be formed partially into the semiconductor layer or completely through the semiconductor layer. Such grooves are advantageous because they allow clear separation between individual high brightness areas (active pixels) and individual low brightness areas (low brightness or inactive pixels).

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, a low-brightness region in the low-brightness region (e.g., each of the low-brightness regions) corresponds to a portion of a semiconductor layer including an n-doped region and a p-doped region, wherein at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region is configured not to be electrically connected to a power supply. In other words, the n-doped region and / or the p-doped region cannot be connected to a power supply, so that the corresponding low-brightness region corresponds to a permanent standby pixel configured not to emit light. Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, a high-brightness region (e.g., each of the high-brightness regions) corresponds to a portion of a semiconductor layer including an n-doped region and a p-doped region, wherein both the n-doped region and the p-doped region can be electrically connected to a power supply. In other words, the high-brightness region (effective pixel) can be turned on and off by connecting the high-brightness region (effective pixel) to a power supply, while in this embodiment, the low-brightness region (standby pixel) cannot be turned on.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, a low brightness region in the low brightness region (e.g., each of the low brightness regions) is configured to be electrically connected (e.g., electrically connected) to a power supply in parallel with another low brightness region in the low brightness region, and wherein the high brightness region is configured to be electrically connected (e.g., electrically connected) to the power supply in series. Although it may be possible to electrically connect the low brightness region to the power supply in this embodiment, the parallel connection connecting the low brightness regions allows the local brightness level (second local brightness level) emitted from these pixels to be kept significantly lower than the first local brightness level of the high brightness region. As mentioned above, in an exemplary embodiment, the second local brightness level is at least 1 / 3 to 1 / 10 lower than the first local brightness level.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device further comprises a first contact element (particularly an array of first contact elements) and a second contact element (particularly an array of second contact elements), the first contact elements being arranged (particularly in direct or indirect mechanical contact) in correspondence with the low brightness areas (particularly in one-to-one correspondence), respectively, and the second contact elements being arranged (particularly in direct or indirect mechanical contact) in correspondence with the high brightness areas (particularly in one-to-one correspondence). In other words, even in embodiments in which the low brightness areas are not connectable to a power source, in particular the second contact elements are provided, for example, in direct or indirect mechanical contact with the low brightness areas. For example, the first and second contact elements may correspond to respective segments of the segmented conductive layer arranged in mechanical contact with the lighting device. It has been found that, in the case where the first and second contact elements are provided regardless of whether the low brightness areas are connectable to a power source, the provision of the first and second contact elements advantageously supports the structural integrity of the lighting device.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the first contact elements and the second contact elements are arranged in an array corresponding to the array of high brightness areas and low brightness areas. Particularly in this form, the first and second contact elements help to advantageously support the structural integrity of the lighting device.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the first contact element is configured to be not electrically connected to at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region of the corresponding low brightness region. In this embodiment, the low brightness region is not configured to emit light, thereby providing the most noticeable difference in brightness level compared to the brightness level of the high brightness region.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the segments of the insulating layer are respectively spaced apart between the first contact element and the corresponding low brightness region. For example, the insulating layer may include a dielectric material (e.g., SiO2) configured to inhibit electrical connection between the first contact element and the corresponding low brightness region. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the low brightness regions is in direct mechanical contact with a corresponding segment of the insulating layer, and the corresponding segment of the insulating layer is in direct mechanical contact with the corresponding first contact element.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the high brightness areas and low brightness areas form a two-dimensional rectangular or square array. In this embodiment, the lighting device can be advantageously employed in applications using, for example, matrix light emitting devices, LEDs, arrangements, so as to replace conventional matrix LED arrangements with the inventive lighting device having a suitably tailored light emission or local brightness profile.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the high brightness area corresponds to a pixel of a matrix light emitting diode arrangement. In this embodiment, the lighting device may correspond to a matrix LED arrangement having active pixels, standby pixels and / or low brightness pixels, wherein the high brightness area corresponds to the active pixels and the low brightness area corresponds to the standby and / or low brightness pixels. As mentioned, the provision of such a matrix arrangement is particularly advantageous in applications where a matrix LED arrangement that can be easily replaced is already employed, whereby replacement does not require modification of the rest of the system, which is advantageous in terms of cost and complexity.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the predefined light emission profile is a non-uniform light emission profile that varies (particularly spatially, e.g., across the light emitting surface) in correspondence with a predefined pattern across the light emitting surface. The predefined pattern may be determined according to a given application to, for example, optimize the light source emission profile based on existing optics. In an exemplary embodiment, the predefined light emission profile has a maximum at or near one edge of the light emitting surface, whereby the local brightness level of the light emitting surface decreases toward a minimum at or near the opposite edge of the light emitting surface. It was found that the latter light emission profile is particularly advantageous for automotive headlight applications. In the case where the high brightness edge of the lighting device is oriented upward (away from the ground on which the car using the lighting device is placed), the lighting device emits light according to a non-uniform pattern, which, in combination with typical headlight optics, helps prevent upward projection of light to prevent undesirable glare to oncoming road users.

[0024] Note that while lighting devices according to the present invention may be advantageously suited for use in automotive applications, additional applications where non-uniform emission profiles are advantageous include projection systems, handheld battery-powered devices, cameras, cellular phones, camera flashes, spotlights, and the like.

[0025] The features and exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above may be equally applicable to different aspects of the present invention. In particular, where features related to the lighting device according to the first aspect are disclosed, corresponding features related to the method for manufacturing the lighting device according to the second aspect and the use according to the third aspect are also disclosed.

[0026] It should be understood that the presentation of the embodiments of the present invention in this section is merely illustrative and not restrictive.

[0027] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are designed for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as a definition of the limitations of the present invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should also be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and processes described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 shows exemplary stages of a process for manufacturing a lighting device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0030] Figure 2 A plan view showing a light emitting surface of a lighting device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 shows a portion of a plan view of a light emitting surface of a lighting device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] Figure 4 shows an example of a light emitting surface of a lighting device according to an exemplary embodiment; and

[0033] Figure 5 An intensity distribution in a Fourier plane resulting from a light emission profile of an illumination device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Figure 1 Exemplary stages A to C of a process of manufacturing a lighting device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment are shown.

[0035] At stage A, an epitaxial layer 120 (an example of a semiconductor layer), for example including or consisting of GaN, is provided on a substrate 110. In further examples, the epitaxial or semiconductor layer 120 may include InGaN and / or AlInGaP, or consist of InGaN and / or AlInGaP. Segments of a p-conductive layer 130 are provided on the epitaxial layer 120. Although the p-conductive layer 130 is shown as a single layer, one or more layers may be formed as suitable conductive regions, for example depending on the materials and applications used. In the example shown, the substrate 110 is a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS), and the p-conductive layer may be an aluminum layer, with corresponding segments formed in contact with the p-doped regions of the epitaxial layer 120. Note that the polarity of the regions (e.g., layers) of the epitaxial / semiconductor layer 120 is exemplary and may be reversed, for example depending on the materials or applications.

[0036] exist Figure 1At stage B in the process, a trench 125 is formed in the epitaxial layer 120, for example, using a suitable etching process and / or masking process. The depth of the trench 125 is adjusted so that the bottom of the trench 125 reaches the n-doped region (or layer) of the epitaxial layer 120. As can be seen from the figure, no corresponding trench is formed in the portion of the epitaxial layer 120 to the right of the line 510 (i.e., in the pixel portion of the epitaxial layer 120 corresponding to the low brightness region (undedicated pixel) of the light emitting surface 101 of the lighting device 101). Note that in Figure 1 The lines 510 used in illustrative only illustrate the corresponding principle and do not necessarily imply a technological barrier within the semiconductor layer 120 exactly at the indicated location.

[0037] Further, in Figure 1 At stage B in FIG. 1 , a dielectric layer 150 (an example of an insulating layer) is provided on the epitaxial layer 120 and, in the example shown, on and in contact with the conductive layer 130. The dielectric layer 150 may be, for example, a 200 nm thick SiN layer. As can be seen from the figure, the dielectric layer 150 serves to provide insulation at a predefined portion above the epitaxial layer 120. Although in FIG. Figure 1 In the areas 126 and 127 within the pixel portion (effective pixel portion) on the left side of the line 510 in B, the dielectric layer 150 is not provided to keep the conductive layer 130 in direct contact with the p portion of the exposed epitaxial layer 120, but Figure 1 The corresponding conductive layer 130 of the pixel portion to the right of line 510 in B (the inactive pixel portion) is completely covered by the insulating dielectric layer 150. In this way, the p-doped region of the epitaxial layer 120 within the inactive pixel portion is configured to be not electrically connected (not connectable) to the power supply.

[0038] exist Figure 1 At stage C in FIG. 5 , a layer 160 of electrical contact material (e.g., gold or copper) is provided on the epitaxial layer 120, particularly on portions of the dielectric layer 150 and on exposed portions of the conductive layer 130. In this way, p-contact elements 160a and n-contact elements 160b are formed in the active pixel region to the left of line 510, which are in electrical contact with the p-doped region and the n-doped region of the epitaxial layer 120, respectively. Thus, the corresponding n-doped region and the p-doped region of the epitaxial layer 120 are configured to be connected to an electrical power source so that the active region between the n-doped region and the p-doped region emits light. Conversely, contact elements 160c and 160d, which are provided in mechanical contact with the inactive pixel region (with the insulating layer 150) to the right of line 510, are not in electrical contact with the epitaxial layer 120, and therefore the epitaxial layer 120 is not connectable to a power source and is configured not to emit light. However, the results show that by providing contact elements 160c and 160d on the surface of the inactive pixel region, the structural integrity of the overall lighting device can be advantageously improved.

[0039] Note that although Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 5 , layer 130 is provided in the unused pixel region on the right side of line 510 on epitaxial layer 120, but the corresponding mask used when depositing the corresponding layer when manufacturing the lighting device can be adjusted so that in the exemplary embodiment, no conductive layer is provided in the low brightness region (such as Figure 1 Such an embodiment is advantageous in terms of material efficiency and helps save costs.

[0040] In further exemplary embodiments, alternatively or additionally, no insulating layer (such as dielectric layer 150) is provided in low brightness areas (such as Figure 1 Although in this embodiment, the contact elements 160c and 160d can be in electrical contact with the epitaxial layer 120, both the contact elements 160c and 160d are only in electrical contact with a single region of the epitaxial layer 120 of the same polarity (in Figure 1 Therefore, also in this embodiment, the contact elements 160c and 160d are configured not to be electrically connected to at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region of the corresponding low brightness region, and in this example are not configured to be connected to the n-doped region.

[0041] Also note that in Figure 1 At a stage (not shown) after stage C in the embodiment, the substrate 110 may be removed and may be replaced, for example, by a wavelength conversion layer (e.g., a phosphor layer) to convert part of the light emitted from the semiconductor layer 120 into a suitable different wavelength, for example, to achieve a desired light color of the lighting device. Thus, the surface of such a wavelength conversion layer, the surface of the substrate 110 ( Figure 1 The lower surface in the substrate 100), or a surface of a different layer provided on the substrate 110 or replacing the substrate 110 forms a portion of the light emitting surface 101.

[0042] As a result, Figure 1 The lighting device 100 shown at stage C of the embodiment has a light emitting surface 101 including a high brightness area and a low brightness area, wherein the high brightness area is formed by Figure 1 The light emitting surface of the semiconductor light emitting device (effective pixel) on the left side of the line 510 in FIG. 5 is formed by the low brightness area in FIG. Figure 1 An electrically non-connectable portion of the semiconductor layer 120 on the right side of the line 510 is formed.

[0043] Note that in an alternative embodiment (not shown), a low brightness region can be achieved by providing a portion on the right side of line 510 similar to the portion on the left side of line 510, whereby in this embodiment, the contact element connected to the portion on the left side of line 510 is connected in series with the contact element of a similar portion (not shown in the simplified figure), and the contact element connected to the portion on the right side of line 510 is connected in parallel with the contact element of a similar portion (not shown in the simplified figure). In this way, the corresponding low brightness region can only emit light at a lower brightness (e.g., 1 / 3 to 1 / 10 lower) compared to the effective pixels connected in series to the power supply. For the inactive pixels in the light-emitting device, such pixels with reduced brightness can be provided additionally or alternatively. For example, such pixels with reduced local brightness can be provided between the effective pixels and the inactive pixels to achieve a smooth local brightness transition at the light emitting surface 101. Therefore, the corresponding intensity distribution in the Fourier plane of the corresponding optical device can be improved.

[0044] Figure 2 1 shows a plan view of a light emitting surface 101 of an illumination device 100. As can be seen from the figure, pixels 105 form a matrix arrangement, wherein each pixel corresponds to a high brightness region (such a pixel corresponds to, for example, a semiconductor light emitting device among semiconductor light emitting devices connected in series with a power source) or corresponds to a low brightness region (such a pixel corresponds to, for example, a semiconductor light emitting device among semiconductor light emitting devices connected in parallel with a power source, or corresponds to a portion of a semiconductor that is not connectable to or only partially connectable to a power source).

[0045] like Figure 3 As conceptually illustrated in Figure 3 A portion of a plan view of the light emission surface 101 of the lighting device 100 is shown, whereby it becomes possible to customize a desired light emission profile of the light emission surface 101 by arranging high brightness areas 105b and low brightness areas 105a according to a predefined pattern across the light emission surface 101 .

[0046] Figure 4 An example of a light emission surface 101 of a lighting device 100 is shown, wherein such a predefined light emission profile has a maximum value at or near the upper edge of the light emission surface 101. As illustrated by the density of points in the figure and the accompanying emission intensity (or local brightness) profile 503, the local brightness level of the light emission surface 101 decreases towards a minimum value at or near the bottom edge of the light emission surface 101. Such an intensity profile is particularly advantageous for applications in the automotive field, in particular for automotive headlights in combination with typical headlight optics, which helps to avoid undesirably projected light beams upwards.

[0047] Figure 51 illustrates an intensity distribution in the Fourier plane resulting from a light emission profile 503 of an illumination device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Here, the density of points in the graph conceptually illustrates the corresponding magnitude of the light intensity, also as shown in the corresponding scale in arbitrary units. Contour lines 600 to 604 indicate corresponding levels of light intensity in the Fourier plane, respectively. As shown from Figure 5 As can be seen, the lighting device 100 having a light emitting surface 101 with this light emission profile enables an intensity distribution in the Fourier plane (often used in optics for automotive headlights) which is more concentrated towards the upper edge while avoiding interference with the upwardly projected beam and interference with the laterally projected beam.

[0048] Reference numerals list

[0049] 100 Lighting Devices

[0050] 101 Light emitting surface

[0051] 105 High / Low Brightness Areas (Pixels)

[0052] 105a Low brightness area

[0053] 105b High brightness area

[0054] 110 Substrate

[0055] 120 Semiconductor / Epitaxial Layer

[0056] 125 Groove

[0057] 126 Exposed Area

[0058] 127 Exposed Area

[0059] 130 Conductive layer

[0060] 150 Dielectric layer

[0061] 160 Contact layer

[0062] 160a p contact element

[0063] 160b n contact element

[0064] 160c Contact element

[0065] 160d Contact element

[0066] 503 Emission Intensity Profile

[0067] 510 lines

[0068] 600-604 Light intensity in the Fourier plane.

Claims

1. A lighting device (100), comprising: - at least one semiconductor layer (120); - at least one light emitting surface (101) comprising an array of high brightness areas (105b) configured to emit light at a first local brightness level, at least one first low brightness area (105a) configured not to emit light, and at least one second low brightness area (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level; - a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices formed in the semiconductor layer (120) to define the high brightness region (105b); - wherein the high brightness area (105b), the first low brightness area (105a) configured not to emit light and the second low brightness area (105a) are arranged according to a predefined light emission profile of the light emission surface (101), - wherein the first low brightness region (105a) configured not to emit light corresponds to a portion of the semiconductor layer (120) including an n-doped region and a p-doped region, wherein at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region is configured not to be electrically connected to a power source, and -Wherein, a second low brightness area (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level is configured to be electrically connected to a power supply in parallel with another second low brightness area (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level, and wherein the high brightness area (105b) is configured to be electrically connected to the power supply in series.

2. The lighting device (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of grooves (125) formed in the at least one semiconductor layer (120) so as to define the high brightness region (105b) and the first low brightness region (105a) configured not to emit light.

3. The lighting device (100) according to Claim 1 further comprises a first contact element (160c, 160d) and a second contact element (160a, 160b), wherein the first contact elements (160c, 160d) are respectively arranged corresponding to the first low-brightness area (105a) configured not to emit light, and the second contact elements (160a, 160b) are respectively arranged corresponding to the high-brightness area (105b) and the second low-brightness area (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level.

4. The lighting device (100) according to claim 3, wherein: The first contact element (160c, 160d) is configured not to be electrically connected to at least one of an n-doped region and a p-doped region of a corresponding first low brightness region (105a) configured not to emit light.

5. The lighting device (100) according to claim 3, wherein: Segments of the insulating layer (150) are respectively spaced apart between the first contact elements (160c, 160d) and corresponding first low brightness regions (105a) configured not to emit light.

6. The lighting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The high brightness area (105b), the first low brightness area (105a) and the second low brightness area (105a) form a two-dimensional rectangular or square array.

7. The lighting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The high brightness region (105b) and the second low brightness region (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level correspond to pixels of a matrix light emitting diode arrangement.

8. The lighting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The predefined light emission profile is a non-uniform light emission profile that varies corresponding to a predefined pattern across the light emission surface (101).

9. The lighting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The predefined light emission profile has a maximum at or near one edge of the light emission surface (101), whereby a first local brightness level of the light emission surface (101) decreases towards a minimum at or near an opposite edge of the light emission surface (101).

10. A method for manufacturing a lighting device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising: - providing at least one semiconductor layer (120); - providing at least one light emitting surface (101), the light emitting surface (101) having an array of high brightness areas (105b) configured to emit light at a first local brightness level, first low brightness areas (105a) configured not to emit light, and second low brightness areas (105a) configured to emit light at a second local brightness level lower than the first local brightness level; - forming a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in the semiconductor layer (120) to define the high brightness region (105b); - arranging the high brightness area (105b), the first low brightness area (105a) configured not to emit light, and the second low brightness area (105a) according to a predefined light emission profile of the light emission surface (101); - arranging first contact elements (160c, 160d) and second contact elements (160a, 160b), wherein the first contact elements (160c, 160d) respectively correspond to the first low brightness area (105a) configured not to emit light, and the second contact elements (160a, 160b) respectively correspond to the high brightness area (105b); - The first contact elements (160c, 160d) are respectively arranged not to be in electrical contact with at least one of an n-doped region and a p-doped region of a corresponding first low brightness region (105a) configured not to emit light.

11. Use of the lighting device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for automotive headlight applications.

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