Upconverting Luminophoric Medium for Optoelectronic Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Optoelectronic devices face thermal management challenges, as excessive heat can damage components and degrade performance, and existing methods like heat sinks and fans are inefficient, especially in light emitting diodes (LEDs) where temperature increases pose a significant issue.
Innovation Solution
Employing anti-Stokes phosphor materials that convert heat into visible light, utilizing their ability to absorb photons and emit light of shorter wavelength, thereby dissipating heat and reducing thermal stress on the devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heat dissipation methods (heat sinks, fans, coolant media) are used, then heat can be removed from the device, but the device complexity increases and energy is lost without productive use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from separate mechanical components (heat sinks, fans) and integrates it into the luminophoric medium itself. The luminophoric material directly converts heat to light, eliminating the need for external thermal management structures and reducing device complexity while maintaining effective heat removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The luminophoric medium performs dual functions: converting pump light to operational wavelength and simultaneously dissipating heat through radiative cooling. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate heat management components, reducing overall device complexity while addressing thermal issues.
2Temperature
If heat sinks and cooling structures are added, then thermal management is improved, but the device becomes more complex and energy is wasted without productive output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful waste heat into beneficial light output through the luminophoric medium's radiative cooling mechanism. Instead of losing energy to ineffective conduction or convection, the heat is transformed into useful photons that extend the device's optical output, turning an energy loss into a productive function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cooling systems (fans, pumps, heat sinks) with a photonic solution where the luminophoric medium directly radiates heat as light. This substitution eliminates mechanical complexity and converts wasted thermal energy into useful optical output, improving energy efficiency.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used, then heat is removed, but the service life of heat-sensitive components is still compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based mechanical cooling (heat sinks, thermal interfaces) with radiative cooling through the luminophoric medium. This eliminates thermal interface resistance and direct thermal pathways that could compromise component reliability, while effectively removing heat through photon emission.
Solution Approach 2:
The luminophoric medium acts as an intermediary that absorbs heat from the semiconductor gain medium through radiative coupling and converts it to light. This indirect heat transfer mechanism protects heat-sensitive components from direct thermal contact while effectively managing temperature.
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 cools optoelectronic devices, eliminates the need for conventional thermal management structures, extends the service life of heat-sensitive components, and enhances device performance by converting waste heat into a usable light output.
Implementation Method 1
an upconverting luminophoric medium that converts thermal energy to light output
Implementation Method 2
anti-Stokes phosphor materials that convert heat into visible light, utilizing their ability to absorb photons and emit light of shorter wavelength
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A microelectronic device that in operation generates or includes component(s) that generate heat, in which the device comprises a heat conversion medium that converts such heat into a light emission having a shorter wavelength than such heat, to thereby cool the device and dissipate the unwanted heat by such light output. The heat conversion medium can include an upconverting luminophoric material, e.g., an anti-Stokes phosphor or phosphor composition. The provision of such heat conversion medium enables thermal management of microelectronic devices, e.g., optoelectronic devices, to be achieved in an efficient manner, to prolong the operational service life of devices such as LEDs, laser diodes, etc. that are degraded in performance by excessive heat generation in their operation.