Light-emitting device with graded band gap particles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional light-emitting devices face challenges in achieving high output and high contrast while maintaining a clear boundary between light and dark regions, as they often fail to effectively control light emission from specific areas and suppress emission from other regions.

Innovation Solution

A light-emitting device configuration that includes a substrate, a light-emitting element, a light transmitting member, and a covering body with a particle group composed of titanium oxide or zinc oxide particles, where the particles near the upper surface have a narrower band gap than in other areas, allowing for controlled light absorption and scattering to achieve high contrast and output.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a conventional light-emitting device structure is used, then the device can emit light, but it fails to achieve high contrast with clear boundary between light and dark regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrast ratioVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The covering body incorporates particles with spatially varying properties: particles near the upper surface have narrower band gaps than particles deeper inside. This local variation in particle properties enables selective light absorption - particles near the surface absorb stray light effectively while particles deeper inside allow transmitted light to pass through, achieving high contrast without complex structural modifications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the optical parameter (band gap) of the particles based on their position within the covering body. By controlling the band gap distribution - with narrower band gaps near the upper surface and wider band gaps deeper inside - the device achieves selective light absorption and scattering that produces clear light-dark boundaries while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If the covering body uses uniform particles throughout, then manufacturing is simplified, but light absorption and scattering efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle distribution uniformityVSAvoidlight control performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than using uniform particles throughout, the invention applies local quality by varying particle properties based on position. Particles near the upper surface have narrower band gaps for effective stray light absorption, while particles deeper inside have wider band gaps to allow transmitted light passage. This localized differentiation maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving light control performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 device achieves high output and high contrast by selectively absorbing and scattering light, ensuring minimal light emission from regions other than the intended light extraction surface, thereby maintaining clear bright and dark areas.

Implementation Method 1

the particle group includes a plurality of titanium oxide particles or zinc oxide particles dispersed in a vicinity of the upper surface of the covering body and having a portion having a narrower band gap than that in other portions in each particle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

achieving high output and high contrast by selectively absorbing and scattering light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Data Source

PatentEP3584846B1Light-emitting device
Publication Date: 2020.12.23 STANLEY ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP3584846B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3584846B1 patent drawingFigure 1C~1D
  • EP3584846B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C

AI summary

A light-emitting device (10) comprises: a substrate (11); a light-emitting element (12) disposed on the substrate (11); a light transmitting member (14) disposed on the light-emitting element (12); and a covering body (16) that is disposed on the substrate (11), covers a side surface of the light transmitting member (14) and/or light-emitting device (12) and has an upper surface exposed to the outside. In this device (10), the covering body (16) has a particle group composed of a plurality of particles dispersed in the covering body (16), and the particle group includes a plurality of titanium oxide particles or zinc oxide particles dispersed in the vicinity of the upper surface of the covering body (16) and having a portion having a narrower band gap than that in other portions in each particle.