The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2000
Eric J. Tarsa, Goleta, CA (US);
Brian Thibeault, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
James Ibbetson, Goleta, CA (US);
Michael Mack, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Cree Lighting Company, Goleta, CA (US);
Abstract
An LED with improved current spreading structures that provide enhanced current injection into the LED's active layer, improving its power and luminous flux. The current spreading structures can be used in LEDs larger than conventional LEDs while maintaining the enhanced current injection. The invention is particularly applicable to LEDs having insulating substrates but can also reduce the series resistance of LEDs having conductive substrates. The improved structures comprise conductive fingers that form cooperating conductive paths that ensure that current spreads from the p-type and n-type contacts into the fingers and uniformly spreads though the oppositely doped layers. The current then spreads to the active layer to uniformly inject electrons and holes throughout the active layer, which recombine to emit light.