White LED Phosphor Layer for CCFL Color Reproduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional white LEDs used in liquid crystal display devices have a different luminescent color profile compared to CCFLs, leading to suboptimal display quality and color reproduction when replacing CCFLs, requiring costly redesign of color filters and phosphors that are not fully compatible with existing CCFL technology.

Innovation Solution

A white LED comprising ultraviolet or purple light emitting diodes or lasers combined with a phosphor layer containing specific green, blue, and red phosphors, such as trivalent cerium- and terbium-activated rare earth boride, divalent europium-activated halophosphate, and europium-activated lanthanum oxysulfide phosphors, which provide a color reproduction range comparable to CCFLs and enhance brightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional white LEDs with different luminescent color profile are used to replace CCFLs, then environmental sustainability is improved (mercury elimination) and service life is extended, but color reproduction quality deteriorates and display characteristics worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidcolor reproduction quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite phosphor system combining multiple phosphor materials (yellow phosphor with peak wavelength 560-580nm and red phosphor with peak wavelength 610-650nm) to create a white LED that reproduces CCFL-like color characteristics while maintaining LED advantages of longevity and environmental friendliness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If white LED with different color profile is used to replace CCFL, then environmental harm is reduced (mercury elimination), but adaptability to existing color filters deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental harmVSAvoidcompatibility with existing color filters
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent adjusts key spectral parameters of the white LED by selecting phosphors with specific peak wavelengths (yellow: 560-580nm, red: 610-650nm) to match the color reproduction range of CCFL, enabling compatibility with existing color filters while eliminating mercury

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If blue light emitting diode is used to produce white light with yellow phosphor, then device complexity is reduced (single LED type, no color mixing mechanism), but color reproduction quality deteriorates compared to ultraviolet diode with three color phosphors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure complexityVSAvoidcolor reproduction quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite phosphor approach with yellow and red phosphors excited by blue LED to achieve a spectral power distribution that closely matches CCFL, providing good color reproduction (Ra≥90, R9≥90) while maintaining the simplicity of a single LED type without complex color mixing mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 allows for the use of existing CCFL color filters, maintaining comparable color reproduction and brightness, eliminating the need for costly redesign and ensuring environmental sustainability by eliminating mercury usage.

Implementation Method 1

A white LED comprising at least one light emitting element selected from ultraviolet light emitting diodes, purple light emitting diodes, ultraviolet light emitting lasers, and purple light emitting lasers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

a phosphor layer, characterized in that the phosphor layer comprises a green phosphor satisfying general formula (1), a blue phosphor satisfying general formula (2) or (3), and a red phosphor satisfying general formula (4)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Data Source

PatentEP1876654B1White led, and backlight and liquid crystal display device using the same
Publication Date: 2018.03.21 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP1876654B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1876654B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1876654B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are a white LED, which has color reproducibility comparable with that of a cold-cathode tube and improved brightness, and a backlight and a liquid crystal display device comprising the white LED. The white LED comprises at least one light emitting element selected from ultraviolet light emitting diodes, purple light emitting diodes, ultraviolet light emitting lasers, and purple light emitting lasers, and a phosphor layer. The phosphor layer comprises a green phosphor satisfying formula 1, a blue phosphor satisfying formula 2 or 3, and a red phosphor satisfying formula 4 or 5: a trivalent cerium- and terbium-activated rare earth boride phosphor represented by formula 1: M1-x-yCexTbyBO3 wherein M represents at least one element selected from Sc (scandium), Y (yttrium), La (lanthanum), Gd (gadolinium), and Lu (lutetium); and x and y are respective numbers of 0.03 < x < 0.3 and 0.03 < y < 0.3; a divalent europium-activated halophosphate phosphor represented by formula 2: (M2, Eu)10(PO4)6.Cl2 wherein M2 represents Mg (magnesium), Ca (calcium), Sr (strontium), or Ba (barium), or a divalent europium-activated aluminate phosphor represented by formula 3: a(M3, Eu)O·bAl2O3 wherein M3 represents Mg (magnesium), Ca (calcium), Sr (strontium), Ba (barium), Zn (zinc), Li (lithium), Rb (rubidium), or Cs (cesium); and a and b are respective numbers of 0 < a, 0 < b, and 0.2 ≤ a/b ≤ 1.5; and a europium-activated lanthanum oxysulfide phosphor represented by formula 4: (La1-x, Eux)2O2S wherein x is a number satisfying 0.01 < x < 0.15), or a europium-activated yttrium oxysulfide phosphor represented by formula 5: (Y1-x, Eux)2O2S wherein x is a number satisfying 0.01 < x < 0.15.