Small LED Source with High Brightness and Efficiency

The patent transitions from planar 2D electrode patterns to 3D vertically-stacked electrode structures. The electrodes extend through multiple layers in the vertical dimension, enabling current injection across a larger effective area while maintaining a small lateral footprint. This dimensional transition allows the LED to achieve high surface brightness from a compact footprint by utilizing vertical space for current distribution and light generation.

The patent implements nested electrode structures where conductive elements are embedded within and between semiconductor layers. The electrodes are integrated into the bulk of the LED structure, with some electrodes positioned at different vertical levels, creating a nested configuration that maximizes the use of available space. This nesting allows multiple current paths to coexist within the small footprint volume.

The patent extracts and eliminates the color-conversion element from the LED structure. By designing the LED to emit monochromatic light directly from the semiconductor active region, the patent removes the phosphor conversion layer that causes efficiency losses. This extraction of the color-conversion function allows the LED to maintain high efficiency at small footprints by avoiding the inherent losses associated with phosphor down-conversion.

The patent changes the operational parameters by optimizing the electrode configuration to distribute current more uniformly across the active region. The vertically-stacked electrode design modifies the current density distribution, reducing peak current densities and minimizing efficiency droop effects. This parameter optimization enables high efficiency operation at the high current densities required for small-footprint, high-brightness applications.

The patent resolves this contradiction by moving the electrode structure into the vertical dimension. Instead of spreading electrodes laterally across the surface (2D configuration), the electrodes are stacked vertically through multiple layers. This allows the electrodes to occupy minimal lateral space while still providing adequate current distribution area, thereby maximizing the light generation area without complicating manufacturing processes.

The patent segments the electrode structure into multiple discrete vertical layers, with each electrode positioned at a specific vertical level. This segmentation allows current to be injected through multiple separated pathways rather than requiring large continuous lateral electrode areas. The segmented vertical electrode configuration maximizes the active light-generating area while maintaining manufacturability through standard layer-by-layer fabrication processes.