Polycrystalline Diamond Light Converter for Headlight Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light converters for motor vehicle headlights face limitations in thermal management and achieving fine resolution and contrast ratio when converting intense, focused laser beams.
Innovation Solution
A converter using a flat diamond support structure made of polycrystalline diamond with diamond columnar crystals, allowing for selective heat dissipation and optimized distribution of converter material for structured scattering effects, enabling adjustable resolution and contrast.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional light converter with layer structure is used, then the converter can be easily manufactured, but the thermal management is insufficient and the resolution/contrast ratio is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional phosphor materials to diamond material, which has fundamentally different thermal conductivity properties. This parameter change enables superior thermal management while maintaining manufacturability through CVD deposition processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses diamond as a composite material that combines optical transparency with exceptional thermal conductivity. The diamond layer is integrated with converter material to create a composite structure that simultaneously addresses thermal management and light conversion functions.
2Ease of manufacture
If a conventional light converter with layer structure is used, then the converter can be easily manufactured, but the resolution and contrast ratio are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a diamond layer with spatially varying properties - the CVD deposition process allows for controlled variation in diamond crystal orientation and density across different regions, enabling localized optimization of optical and thermal properties to achieve fine resolution and contrast ratio.
3Temperature
If diamond material is used for the converter, then the thermal management is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diamond layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a thermal management component due to its high thermal conductivity, as an optical element for light conversion, and as a structural support layer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If diamond material is used for the converter, then the resolution and contrast ratio are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the CVD deposition process (such as gas composition, temperature, pressure) to control the diamond layer's microstructure and optical properties. By adjusting these parameters, the desired resolution and contrast ratio are achieved without requiring additional complex structural elements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced thermal management and improved resolution and contrast by allowing partial transmission of primary light without conversion, mixing it with emitted secondary light, suitable for converting blue laser radiation into multispectral white light.
Implementation Method 1
a flat diamond support structure made of polycrystalline diamond with a large number of diamond columnar crystals that form a diamond columnar texture, with areas of the diamond support structure having the converter material and free spaces between these areas
Implementation Method 2
the converter having a converter material for at least partially converting a primary light emitted by a primary light source into a secondary light, the secondary light having a different wavelength than the primary light
Implementation Method 3
free spaces between these areas remain, which allow a conversion-free passage of the primary light through the diamond support structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a converter (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125) for a lighting device, in particular for a lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight. The converter has a converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124) for at least partly converting a primary light, which is emitted from a primary light source, into a secondary light, which has a different wavelength than the primary light. The converter has a flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) made of polycrystalline diamond with a plurality of column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123), which form a column-shaped diamond texture. Regions (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 112, 122) of the diamond support structure have the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124), and free spaces remain between said regions, wherein the free spaces allow the primary light to pass through the diamond support structure without being converted.