3D Fin Substrates for LED Display Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate designs for semiconductor devices, such as LEDs and other electronic components, inadequately dissipate heat, leading to inefficiencies, color shifts, and potential overheating, which limits display brightness and poses safety risks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of substrates with 3-dimensional features like 'fins' that create laterally-isolated heat conduction paths to channel heat away from temperature-sensitive components, allowing for efficient heat dissipation through strategically positioned windows and cooling mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform sheets of glass and PCB layered structures are used for heat dissipation, then the substrate structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient causing LED inefficiency and color shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D planar heat dissipation structures to 3D vertically-aligned fin structures. The fins extend perpendicular to the substrate surface, creating vertical heat conduction paths that efficiently channel heat away from LEDs in the third dimension, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and heat dissipation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is segmented into multiple functional regions: LED mounting areas with vertically-aligned fins for heat extraction, color conversion element areas with modified fin patterns, and isolated heat conduction paths. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity.
2Device complexity
If heat is not efficiently directed away from LEDs, then the substrate structure remains simple, but LED efficiency decreases and color shifts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The fin structures are strategically positioned with vertical alignment to LEDs, creating localized high-efficiency heat extraction zones directly at LED heat sources. The fin density, height, and orientation are locally optimized in different substrate regions to match the thermal characteristics of underlying components, achieving effective temperature control without excessive overall complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional substrate designs are used, then manufacturing is easier, but exterior device surfaces overheat causing safety risks to consumers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts heat from the interior substrate regions where LEDs and electronics generate it, and transports it through vertically-aligned fin structures to exterior surfaces designated for heat dissipation. This separation of heat generation zones from heat dissipation zones prevents dangerous temperature buildup on consumer-contact surfaces while maintaining simple manufacturing processes.
4Device complexity
If heat dissipation is insufficient, then the device design remains simple, but display brightness is limited due to thermal constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The vertically-aligned fin structures create additional thermal conduction pathways in the vertical dimension, significantly increasing the effective heat dissipation surface area without expanding the horizontal device footprint. This enables higher display brightness levels by effectively managing thermal loads that would otherwise limit performance.
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
This approach effectively maintains component temperatures below thresholds, increases heat transfer, enhances display brightness, and prolongs LED lifespan by minimizing temperature increases, while reducing power consumption and safety hazards.
Implementation Method 1
The heat may be dissipated through laterally-isolated heat conduction paths
Implementation Method 2
some device designs include substrates that absorb and direct heat away from the LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods are described for substrate materials and designs for controlling heat dissipation from semiconductor devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The embodiments may reduce temperature increases of semiconductor devices during operation. In some examples, a substrate structure is manufactured with a plurality of fins positioned along a first side. A plurality of heating sources, such as electronic components that generate heat, may be positioned along a second side of the substrate structure. The plurality of heat sources may be positioned to be laterally offset from the plurality of fins. In some examples, a plurality of LEDs are positioned along the first side of the substrate structure and at least partially laterally in line with the plurality of fins. In some examples, the plurality of LEDs are positioned along the first side of the substrate structure and laterally offset from the plurality of fins.