White LED Chip Tunneling Structure for Phosphor-Free Emission

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional white LEDs rely on phosphors to produce white light, which limits their efficiency and flexibility in emitting cool or warm white light, and do not offer adjustable peak wavelengths.

Innovation Solution

A white LED chip and packaging device featuring a tunneling structure composed of metal oxide, metal nitride, or metal oxynitride layers, allowing for the emission of white light without phosphors and adjustable peak wavelengths by varying the material layers and processing conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If phosphors are used to produce white light in conventional white LEDs, then white light can be generated by mixing yellow and blue light, but the efficiency is limited and flexibility in emitting cool or warm white light is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight emission efficiencyVSAvoidflexibility in emitting cool or warm white light

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the phosphor component from the conventional white LED structure. By removing the phosphor layer that converts blue light to yellow light, the patent directly emits white light through the tunneling structure, thereby improving efficiency and enabling flexible control of color temperature through material composition adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the fundamental parameter of light generation from phosphor-based wavelength conversion to direct white light emission through tunneling. By adjusting the material composition (metal oxide, metal nitride, metal oxynitride ratios) and layer structure parameters, the color temperature and peak wavelength can be precisely controlled to emit cool or warm white light.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If phosphors are used in white LEDs, then white light can be produced, but adjustable peak wavelengths are not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewhite light outputVSAvoidadjustable peak wavelengths

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs composite material structures consisting of multiple layers with different metal oxides, metal nitrides, or metal oxynitrides. Each material layer contributes differently to the overall emission characteristics, allowing independent optimization of white light output intensity and peak wavelength adjustment by varying the material composition and thickness of each layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Illumination intensity

If conventional blue LED and Ce:Y3Al2O12 phosphor are combined, then high-brightness white light can be produced, but efficiency and color flexibility are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehigh-brightness white lightVSAvoidconversion efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention substitutes the phosphor conversion mechanism with a quantum tunneling mechanism. Instead of using phosphors to absorb blue light and re-emit yellow light (which has inherent efficiency losses), the tunneling structure directly generates white light through electron tunneling, eliminating the energy loss associated with phosphor conversion and improving overall efficiency while maintaining high brightness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Enables the production of white LEDs that can emit either cool or warm white light with adjustable peak wavelengths, enhancing light emission efficiency and flexibility without the need for phosphors.

Implementation Method 1

a tunneling structure which includes a first barrier layer, an active layer and a second barrier layer... An energy gap of the second material layer is lower than an energy gap of the first material layer and an energy gap of the third material layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectQuantum tunneling:

Data Source

PatentUS9923119B2White LED chip and white LED packaging device

Publication Date: 2018.03.20 OPTO TECH CORP

AI summary

A white LED chip includes a P-type layer, a tunneling structure, an N-type layer, an N-type electrode, and a P-type electrode. The tunneling structure is disposed over the P-type layer. The tunneling structure includes a first barrier layer, an active layer and a second barrier layer. The first barrier layer includes a first material layer, the active layer includes a second material layer, and the second barrier layer includes a third material layer. The N-type layer is disposed over the tunneling structure. An energy gap of the second material layer is lower than an energy gap of the first material layer and an energy gap of the third material layer. Each of the first material layer, the second material layer and the third material layer is a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer or a metal oxynitride layer.