Printable LED Arrays with Interconnect Heat Sinks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LED-based lighting systems face challenges in thermal management, leading to performance degradation and reduced longevity due to high peak operating temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The development of printable LED arrays with sparse geometry and interconnected electrical interconnects that function as heat sinks, providing efficient thermal dissipation and managing heat generation effectively, thereby maintaining optimal operating temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional LED-based lighting systems are used, then high radiant power and luminous output are achieved, but peak operating temperatures increase leading to performance degradation and reduced longevity
Solution Approach 1:
The LED array is segmented into sparsely distributed individual LED elements rather than dense configurations. This segmentation allows each LED to have dedicated thermal management resources and reduces heat accumulation from adjacent LEDs, thereby maintaining high luminous output while controlling peak operating temperatures through distributed geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from planar 2D LED arrangements to 3D vertically-stacked LED structures. By stacking multiple LED layers vertically and providing thermal vias through the substrate, heat can be dissipated in the vertical dimension rather than being confined to the horizontal plane, reducing peak operating temperatures while maintaining high radiant power output
2Power
If LED density is increased to improve radiant power, then higher luminous efficacy is achieved, but thermal management becomes more difficult and peak temperatures rise
Solution Approach 1:
The high-power LED array is divided into multiple discrete LED elements distributed across the substrate rather than concentrated in dense clusters. Each segmented LED can be individually thermally managed through dedicated interconnects and thermal vias, enabling high total radiant power while maintaining effective heat dissipation across the entire array
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical interconnects serving multiple LEDs are designed to simultaneously perform electrical connection and thermal management functions. These multi-functional interconnect structures conduct electricity to power LEDs while also serving as heat sinks and thermal conduction paths, enabling efficient heat dissipation from multiple LEDs through shared thermal management infrastructure
3Temperature
If LED size is reduced to micro- and nano-scales, then better thermal management is achieved, but manufacturing precision and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical interconnect structures automatically serve dual purposes: providing electrical connectivity to micro- and nano-scale LEDs and simultaneously functioning as heat sinks through their inherent thermal properties. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate, precisely-aligned thermal management components, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation from miniaturized LEDs
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the electrical interconnects, making them sufficiently large in cross-sectional area and optimized for thermal conduction. By adjusting the interconnect dimensions and thermal conductivity parameters, they can effectively dissipate heat from micro- and nano-scale LEDs without requiring equally precise dimensional control of the LEDs themselves, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements
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 enables high-performance LED arrays with enhanced thermal management, reducing peak operating temperatures and extending the lifespan and efficiency of LED devices.
Implementation Method 1
each of the electrical interconnects has lateral dimensions and a thickness large enough to provide dissipation of heat from the array of LEDs at a rate greater than or equal to 5 μJ s−1
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are electronic devices including arrays of printable light emitting diodes (LEDs) having device geometries and dimensions providing enhanced thermal management and control relative to conventional LED-based lighting systems. The systems and methods described provide large area, transparent, and/or flexible LED arrays useful for a range of applications in microelectronics, including display and lightning technology. Methods are also provided for assembling and using electronic devices including thermally managed arrays of printable light emitting diodes (LEDs).