Light-emitting diode (LED) support array, LED support and its manufacturing method

Abstract

An LED support array includes a conductive substrate and an insulating frame, and defines a plurality of adjacent units. Each unit includes a slot and a lead frame of the conductive substrate, the lead frame being located within the slot. A groove connecting the slot is formed on a surface of the insulating frame. The conductive substrate has one or more connecting ribs disposed in the groove to connect adjacent lead frames located within the slot. Before cutting the LED support array into individual LED supports, a sacrificial portion of the connecting rib is removed, leaving an area and separating the lead frame, and a cutting line passes through this area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a light-emitting diode (LED) support array, an LED support, and a method for manufacturing the same, particularly to an LED support array, an LED support, and a method for manufacturing the same that avoids cutting a conductive substrate. [Previous Technology]

[0002] The light-emitting diode (LED) support is an important component of LED devices, its main function being to support the LED chip and provide electrical connection. The basic structure of an LED support includes a conductive substrate and an insulating frame covering the conductive substrate. The conductive substrate provides the electrical connection for the LED, while the insulating frame isolates the positive and negative electrodes of the conductive substrate and supports the LED. The LED support not only provides LED fixation and conductivity but also helps improve luminous efficiency and heat dissipation, thus it is widely used in various LED devices.

[0003] The manufacturing methods of common light-emitting diode (LED) brackets generally include the following steps: providing a metal substrate to form electrode sheets; then, forming an insulating frame covering the metal substrate; finally, cutting the insulating frame along a predetermined cutting line to form multiple independent bracket units. The electrode sheets on the metal substrate are usually provided with connecting ribs to improve the convenience of subsequent electroplating, handling, and mass production, which is beneficial for mass production of LED brackets.

[0004] However, in the above process, the connecting ribs on the metal substrate must be cut off during the final cutting to form the bracket unit. This causes the cutting tool to directly contact and wear down the bottom surface of the metal substrate, increasing the risk of bracket damage. Furthermore, since all electrode sheets are connected to each other via the connecting ribs, it is impossible to perform electrical testing on each conductive sheet of the bracket before cutting. This means quality inspection can only be performed after the entire process is completed, making it impossible to detect defective products in real time. Therefore, while the existing manufacturing method for light-emitting diode brackets can achieve mass production, there is still room for improvement in terms of process yield and quality control. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for preparing a light-emitting diode support, comprising the following steps:

[0006] A bracket semi-finished product is provided, including a conductive substrate and an insulating frame that partially covers the conductive substrate. The bracket semi-finished product defines a plurality of adjacent units, each of which includes a through groove formed in the insulating frame and extending along a thickness direction, and a lead frame of the conductive substrate. The lead frame is located in the through groove. A groove is formed on a surface of the insulating frame that laterally connects the through groove of the unit. The conductive substrate has one or more connecting ribs disposed in the groove to connect adjacent lead frames located in the through groove. The connecting ribs are formed together with the lead frames and have a sacrificial portion.

[0007] Remove the sacrificial portion of the connecting rib, leaving an area that separates the conductor frames of the units from each other; and

[0008] The insulating frame is cut along a cutting line that passes through the area to separate the insulating frame of the units and obtain a plurality of separate units from the bracket semi-finished product.

[0009] The present invention further provides a light-emitting diode (LED) support array, comprising a conductive substrate and an insulating frame. The conductive substrate includes one or more lead frames and one or more connecting ribs connecting the lead frames, the connecting ribs being integrally formed with the lead frames and having a sacrificial portion. The insulating frame partially covers the conductive substrate and includes a plurality of through slots penetrating the insulating frame along a thickness direction, and one or more grooves laterally connecting the through slots. The lead frames are respectively disposed in the through slots, the connecting ribs are disposed in the grooves, and a region is formed on the grooves after the sacrificial portion is removed. The LED support array defines a plurality of adjacent units, each unit including one of the through slots and one of the lead frames.

[0010] The present invention further provides a light-emitting diode support, comprising a conductive substrate and an insulating frame. The conductive substrate includes a lead frame and one or more connecting ribs connected to the lead frame, the connecting ribs being integrally formed with the lead frame and having a sacrificial portion. The insulating frame partially covers the lead frame and includes a through-groove extending through the insulating frame along a thickness direction, and one or more grooves laterally connecting the through-groove, wherein the lead frame is disposed in the through-groove, and the connecting ribs are disposed in the grooves, and a region is formed on the grooves after the sacrificial portion is removed.

Implementation Method

[0011] It should be understood that the terminology used in the description of various embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise or intentionally limits the number of elements, the singular forms "a" and "the" as used herein also include the plural forms. It will be further understood that the term "comprising," as used herein, indicates the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the addition or presence of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Indefinite and definite articles should include both plural and singular forms unless the opposite is clearly apparent from the context.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a light-emitting diode (LED) support array 100 and an LED support 1 are shown in the present invention. The LED support array 100 is cut to form independent LED supports 1. Each LED support 1 includes a conductive substrate 10 and an insulating frame 20. The conductive substrate 10 is used to support and electrically connect an LED chip (not shown). The insulating frame 20 partially covers the conductive substrate 10, and is used to fix the conductive substrate 10 and form an encapsulation space to protect the LED chip and its wiring structure.

[0013] Referring to Figure 1, the conductive substrate 10 includes a plurality of lead frames 11, 12 and one or more connecting ribs 13. The connecting ribs 13 are formed together with the lead frames 11, 12 and connected to the lead frames 11, 12. The connecting rib 13 includes a sacrificial portion 131 and two fixing portions 132 located at both ends of the sacrificial portion 131, and the two fixing portions 132 are respectively connected to the lead frames 11, 12. The sacrificial portion 131 is defined as the portion that is removed before the light-emitting diode support array 100 is cut.

[0014] In one example, the conductive substrate 10 is a plate-shaped structure made of metals such as copper, stainless steel or aluminum, and can be formed by metal processing methods such as etching, stamping, laser cutting or electroforming to form the lead frames 11, 12 and the connecting ribs 13.

[0015] In one example, each of the lead frames 11 and 12 includes at least two electrode plates spaced apart from each other, which can be respectively connected to two pins of the light-emitting diode. In one example, as shown in FIG1, the lead frame 11 (first lead frame) includes a first electrode plate 111 and a second electrode plate 112, which are spaced apart from each other; similarly, the lead frame 12 (second lead frame) includes a third electrode plate 121 and a fourth electrode plate 122, which are spaced apart from each other. In this example, the two fixing portions 132 of the connecting rib 13 are respectively connected to the second electrode plate 112 of the first lead frame 11 and the third electrode plate 121 of the second lead frame 12, so that the first lead frame 11 and the second lead frame 12 are interconnected.

[0016] Referring to Figure 2, which is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the insulating frame 20, the insulating frame 20 includes a first surface 21 and a second surface 23 opposite to the first surface 21, and the insulating frame 20 forms a plurality of through slots 22 and one or more grooves 24. Each through slot 22 penetrates the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 along a thickness direction, and forms one or more interconnected openings on the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 respectively. Each groove 24 is formed on the first surface 21 and is laterally connected to the through slots 22, so that adjacent through slots 22 are interconnected through the grooves 24.

[0017] In one example, the material of the insulating frame 20 may be selected from thermosetting plastics or thermoplastic plastics with insulating properties, such as epoxy molding compound (EMC) or silicone molding compound (SMC), but is not limited thereto.

[0018] Referring to Figure 3, it is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the light-emitting diode support array 100. The insulating frame 20 covers the periphery of the conductive substrate 10, so that the conductive substrate 10 is located between the first surface 21 and the second surface 23. The lead frames 11 and 12 are respectively located in the through slots 22, so that the openings on the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 are blocked from communicating. The connecting rib 13 is located in the groove 24 and exposed on the first surface 21.

[0019] Referring to Figure 4, the light-emitting diode support array 100 defines a plurality of adjacent units along one or more cutting lines 90. Each unit corresponds to forming a light-emitting diode support 1. Each unit includes a through groove 22 and a lead frame 11 (or 12) located in the through groove 22. The connecting rib 13 and the groove 24 are connected between two adjacent units. Before the LED support array 100 is cut into individual LED supports 1, the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13 is removed, and an area 40 is left in the insulating frame 20 at the original location of the connecting rib 13. This area 40 is a space without any metal material, forming a gap between the lead frames 11 and 12 to separate them. After the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13 is removed, a portion of the groove 24 is exposed in the area 40, and one end face 30 of each of the two fixing portions 132 is also exposed in the area 40. The LED support array 100 is cut along the cutting line 90, which passes through the area 40 and does not intersect with any part of the conductive substrate 10. That is, the cutting path of the cutting tool (not shown) only passes through the part of the insulating frame 20 that does not have the conductive substrate 10, without contacting the conductive substrate 10.

[0020] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, which are three-dimensional structural schematic diagrams of the light-emitting diode support 1 formed after the light-emitting diode support array 100 is cut, viewed from the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 of the light-emitting diode support 1, respectively, and also referring to Figure 7, which is a cross-sectional view of the light-emitting diode support 1 along section line AA of Figure 6. The light-emitting diode support 1 includes the lead frame 11 and the insulating frame 20 that partially covers the lead frame 11. The two surfaces of the lead frame 11 are exposed on the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 of the insulating frame 20, respectively. The first surface 21 has a region 40 left after the sacrificial portion 131 is removed, and after the sacrificial portion 131 is removed, a portion of the groove 24 and the end face 30 of the fixing portion 132 of the connecting rib 13 are exposed in the region 40. In one example, the end face 30 is a plane, i.e., not a curved surface, sawtooth surface, or stepped surface. In another example, the extending direction of the end face 30 is parallel to the sidewall of the light-emitting diode support 1. Since the sidewall is formed by cutting the light-emitting diode support array 100 along the cutting line 90 (see Figure 4), the extending direction of the end face 30 is also parallel to the cutting line 90. In another example, the end face 30 is separated from the sidewall of the light-emitting diode support 1 by a predetermined distance D, i.e., viewed from the sidewall of the insulating frame 20, the conductive substrate 10 is recessed inward in the insulating frame 20. In another example, the predetermined distance D is between 0 and 0.2 mm.

[0021] Referring also to Figures 6 and 7, in one example, the insulating frame 20 further includes a spacer 25 located between the first surface 21 and the second surface 23 and extending along the thickness direction. The spacer 25 divides the lead frame 11 into the first electrode plate 111 and the second electrode plate 112, which are electrically isolated from each other. In one embodiment, the spacer 25 extends from the first surface 21 toward the second surface 23, and the spacer 25 and the lead frames 11, 12 have the same thickness.

[0022] Refer to 『Figure 8』, which is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the light-emitting diode bracket 1, including step P1: providing a bracket semi-finished product; step P2: removing the sacrificial part of the connecting rib to leave the area; and step P3: cutting the insulating frame along the cutting line.

[0023] In step P1, the bracket semi-finished product is the light-emitting diode bracket array 100 shown in Figure 3, including the conductive substrate 10 and the insulating frame 20, and defining one or more adjacent units. The conductive substrate 10 is made of a metal plate, and the lead frames 11, 12 and the connecting ribs 13 connecting the lead frames 11, 12 are pre-formed on the metal plate. The connecting ribs 13 are integrally formed with the lead frames 11, 12, and have the sacrificial portion 131 and two fixing portions 132 located at both ends of the sacrificial portion 131. The insulating frame 20 is formed on the periphery of the conductive substrate 10 to partially cover the conductive substrate 10. The insulating frame 20 forms through slots 22 at positions corresponding to the lead frames 11, 12, and forms grooves 24 at positions corresponding to the connecting ribs 13, and the grooves 24 connect the through slots 22 of adjacent units. The insulating frame 20 may be made of insulating thermosetting or thermoplastic plastics, such as epoxy molding compound (EMC) or silicone molding compound (SMC), but is not limited thereto.

[0024] In step P2, the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13 is removed, causing the connecting rib 13 to be disconnected, leaving the area 40 and exposing the corresponding groove 24. Removal of the sacrificial portion 131 includes, but is not limited to, etching, laser processing, or mechanical cutting. As described above, since the lead frames 11 and 12 are separated after the connecting rib 13 is removed, each lead frame 11 and 12 can be electrically tested immediately after this step, without waiting until it is cut into independent light-emitting diode supports for testing, thereby achieving real-time control of manufacturing quality.

[0025] In step P3, the insulating frame 20 of the light-emitting diode support array 100 is cut along the cutting line 90, so that the separated lead frames 11 and 12 respectively form independent light-emitting diode supports 1. The cutting line 90 passes through the region 40, that is, during cutting, the cutting path of the cutting tool only contacts the insulating frame 20 and does not directly touch the conductive substrate 10, avoiding direct damage to the lead frames 11 and 12 by the cutting tool. After being cut into the light-emitting diode supports 1, the region 40 can be directly observed from the side wall and the first surface 21 of the light-emitting diode supports 1, and the lead frames 11 (or 12) are laterally recessed into the side wall. In this way, during subsequent surface mount technology (SMT) operations, solder paste can overflow appropriately from the region 40, thereby facilitating the inspection of solder quality.

[0026] Referring to Figure 9, it is a flowchart of a manufacturing method for another example. It includes step S1: providing the conductive substrate; step S2: forming the insulating frame covering the conductive substrate; step S3: removing the sacrificial portion of the connecting rib of the conductive substrate; and step S4: cutting the insulating frame.

[0027] In step S1, the conductive substrate 10 is provided, and the conductive substrate 10 is made of a metal plate, on which a plurality of lead frames 11, 12 are pre-formed, and each of the lead frames 11, 12 is connected to each other by at least one connecting rib 13. The conductive substrate 10 can be manufactured by etching, stamping, laser cutting, or electroforming, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] In step S2, an insulating frame 20 is formed around the conductive substrate 10. The insulating frame 20 covers and fixes the conductive substrate 10, so that each of the lead frames 11, 12 and the connecting ribs 13 of the conductive substrate 10 are stably fixed in the insulating frame 20, forming a light-emitting diode support array 100 including a plurality of light-emitting diode supports 1. In one example, the insulating frame 20 may be made of thermosetting plastic or thermoplastic plastic with insulating properties, such as epoxy resin molding compound (EMC) or silicone resin molding compound (SMC), but is not limited thereto.

[0029] In one example, step S2 is performed by injection molding to form the insulating frame 20, including the following sub-steps: step S2-1: placing the conductive substrate 10 into a cavity; and step S2-2: filling an insulating material into the gap between the conductive substrate and the cavity. After the insulating material cures, the insulating frame 20 covering the conductive substrate 10 is formed.

[0030] In step S3, the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13 is removed, leaving the area 40 and exposing the corresponding groove 24. In one example, the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13 can be removed by etching, laser processing or mechanical cutting. In one example, step S3 uses selective electroplating and etching to remove the connecting rib 13, including the following sub-steps: Step S3-1, forming an anti-plating layer on the surface of the sacrificial portion 131 of the connecting rib 13; Step S3-2, electroplating the conductive substrate 10 to form an etch-resistant electroplating layer at least on the lead frames 11, 12 and the two fixing portions 132 of the connecting rib 13; Step S3-3, removing the anti-plating layer on the sacrificial portion 131; and Step S3-4, etching the sacrificial portion 131 using an alkaline solution to remove the sacrificial portion 131, wherein the alkaline solution does not affect the electroplated electrode assemblies 11, 12 and the two fixing portions 132, but only acts on the unplated sacrificial portion 131. In one example, the anti-plating layer is formed by ink printing. In one example, the electroplating layer is formed of materials such as gold, silver, or nickel-palladium-gold to improve the surface conductivity of the lead frames 11, 12. In one example, the alkaline solution is a copper chloride solution.

[0031] Step S4 is the same as step P3. The insulating frame 20 of the light-emitting diode support array 100 is cut along the cutting line 90 so that the separated wire frames 11 and 12 form independent light-emitting diode supports 1 respectively.

[0032] Compared to conventional methods for manufacturing light-emitting diode (LED) supports, this invention, before cutting the LED support array to form multiple independent LED supports, includes a step of removing connecting ribs that connect multiple adjacent electrode sheets on the conductive substrate. This separates the lead frames and forms a space without the conductive substrate, allowing subsequent cutting operations to pass through this non-metallic space without cutting the conductive substrate. This avoids potential problems with poor adhesion between the insulating frame and the electrode sheets caused by cutting the conductive substrate. Furthermore, since there is no electrical connection between adjacent electrode sheet groups after removing the connecting ribs, the circuits of each electrode sheet group can be made completely independent before cutting the LED support array, facilitating pre-testing of electrical properties. In addition, after removing the connecting ribs, the conductive substrate in the LED support array is no longer in a fully connected state, effectively improving the flatness of the LED support array and reducing the risk of deformation, further improving the accuracy of subsequent packaging processes. After the LED bracket is cut into an independent structure, a groove is formed at the original location of the connecting rib, passing through the side wall of the LED bracket. This allows solder paste to overflow from the groove during subsequent surface mount technology operations, facilitating solder quality inspection and improving the convenience of process control. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0033] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a conductor frame; Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an insulating frame; Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a light-emitting diode (LED) support array; Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the LED support after a sacrificial portion has been removed; Figure 5 is a first three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the LED support; Figure 6 is a second three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the LED support; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 6 along section line AA; Figure 8 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method for the LED support according to one embodiment; and Figure 9 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method for the LED support according to another embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a light-emitting diode (LED) support, comprising the following steps: providing a support semi-finished product, including a conductive substrate and an insulating frame partially covering the conductive substrate, the support semi-finished product defining a plurality of adjacent units, each unit including a through-groove formed in the insulating frame and extending along a thickness direction, and a lead frame of the conductive substrate, the lead frame being located in the through-groove, a groove being formed on a surface of the insulating frame for laterally connecting the through-groove of the unit, the conductive substrate having one or more connecting ribs disposed in the groove to connect adjacent lead frames located in the through-groove, wherein... The connecting rib is formed together with the conductor frame and has a sacrificial portion; the sacrificial portion of the connecting rib is removed to leave an area that separates the conductor frames of the units from each other; and the insulating frame is cut along a cutting line that passes through the area to separate the insulating frames of the units and obtain a plurality of separate units from the bracket semi-finished product.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, In the step of removing the sacrificial part, the sacrificial part is etched using an alkaline solution.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The step of removing the sacrificial portion includes the following sub-steps: forming an anti-plating layer on the sacrificial portion; forming an etch-resistant plating layer on the conductive substrate other than the sacrificial portion; removing the anti-plating layer on the sacrificial portion; and etching the sacrificial portion using an alkaline solution.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The insulation frame is formed by injection molding.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The connecting rib further includes two fixing parts, which are respectively located between the sacrificial part and the conductor frame. After the sacrificial part is removed, one end face of each fixing part is exposed in the area, and the end face is a plane.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein, One extension direction of the end face is parallel to the cutting line.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein, The end face is separated from the cutting line by a predetermined distance.

8. A light-emitting diode support array, comprising: A conductive substrate includes a plurality of lead frames and one or more connecting ribs connecting the lead frames, the connecting ribs being formed together with the lead frames and having a sacrificial portion; and an insulating frame partially covering the conductive substrate, including a plurality of through slots penetrating the insulating frame along a thickness direction, and one or more grooves laterally connecting the through slots, the lead frames being disposed in the through slots, the connecting ribs being disposed in the grooves, and a region being formed on the grooves after the sacrificial portion is removed; wherein, a light-emitting diode support array defines a plurality of adjacent units, each unit including one of the through slots and one of the lead frames.

9. The light-emitting diode support array as described in claim 8, wherein, The connecting rib further includes two fixing parts, which are respectively located between the sacrificial part and the conductor frames, and one end face of each fixing part is exposed in the area, and the end face is a plane.

10. A light-emitting diode support, comprising: A conductive substrate includes a lead frame and one or more connecting ribs connected to the lead frame, the connecting ribs being formed together with the lead frame and having a sacrificial portion; and an insulating frame partially covering the lead frame, including a through-groove extending through the insulating frame along a thickness direction, and one or more grooves laterally connecting the through-groove, wherein the lead frame is disposed in the through-groove, the connecting ribs are disposed in the grooves, and a region is formed on the grooves after the sacrificial portion is removed.

11. The light-emitting diode holder as described in claim 10, wherein, The connecting rib further includes two fixing parts, which are respectively located between the sacrificial part and the conductor frame, and one end face of each fixing part is exposed in the area, and the end face is a plane.

12. The light-emitting diode holder as described in claim 11, wherein, One extension direction of the end face is parallel to one side wall of the light-emitting diode support.

13. The light-emitting diode holder as described in claim 12, wherein, The end face is separated from the side wall by a predetermined distance.

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