Abstract:
A method of estimating the junction temperature of a light emitting diode comprises driving a forward bias current through the diode, the current comprising a square wave which toggles between high and low current values (Ihigh, llow), the high current value (lhigh) comprising an LED operation current, and the low current value (ILOW) comprising a non-zero measurement current. The forward bias voltage drop (Vf) is sampled and the forward bias voltage drop (Vflow) is determined at the measurement current (ILOW)—The temperature is derived from the determined forward bias voltage drop.
Abstract:
Apparatus for regulating the temperature of a light emitting diode (LED). The apparatus includes a heat sink, an LED mount, and an LED mounted on the LED mount. The LED mount is configured to change shape in response to a change in temperature. The change in shape alters the position of the LED relative to the heat sink, for adjusting heat transfer between the LED and the heat sink. The LED mount may include a laminated portion such as a bi-metallic strip.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed of controlling a LED, comprising driving the LED with a DC current for a first time, interrupting the DC current for a second time such that the first time and the second time sum to a period, determining at least one characteristic of the LED whilst the DC current is interrupted, and controlling the DC current during a subsequent period in dependence on the at least one characteristic. The invention thus benefits from the simplicity of DC operation. By operating at the LED in a DC mode, rather than say in a PWM mode, the requirement to be able to adjust the duty cycle is avoided. By including interruptions to the DC current, it is possible to utilise the LED itself to act as a sensor in order to determine a characteristic of the LED. The need for additional sensors is thereby avoided.
Abstract:
Apparatus for regulating the temperature of a light emitting diode (LED). The apparatus includes a heat sink, an LED mount, and an LED mounted on the LED mount. The LED mount is configured to change shape in response to a change in temperature. The change in shape alters the position of the LED relative to the heat sink, for adjusting heat transfer between the LED and the heat sink. The LED mount may include a laminated portion such as a bi-metallic strip.
Abstract:
A method for producing a semiconductor structure that includes at least one useful layer on a substrate. This method includes providing a source substrate with a zone of weakness therein that defines a relatively thick useful layer between the zone of weakness and a front face of the source substrate; bonding the front face of the source substrate to a support substrate and detaching the useful layer from the source substrate at the zone of weakness to transfer the useful layer to the support substrate; implanting atomic species into a free face of the useful layer to a controlled mean implantation depth therein to form a zone of weakness within the useful layer that defines front and rear useful layers, with the rear useful layer contacting the source substrate and the front useful layer containing a greater concentration of defects; bonding a stiffening substrate to the free face of the front useful layer after implantation of the atomic species; and detaching the front useful layer from the rear useful layer along the zone of weakness to form a semiconductor structure comprising the support substrate and the rear useful layer thereon. The structures obtained can be used in the fields of electronics, optoelectronics or optics.
Abstract:
A method of providing a dielectric material (18) having regions (18′, 18″) with a varying thickness in an IC manufacturing process is disclosed. The method comprises forming a plurality of patterns in respective regions (20′, 20″) of the dielectric material (18), each pattern increasing the susceptibility of the dielectric material (18) to a dielectric material removal step by a predefined amount and exposing the dielectric material (18) to the dielectric material removal step. In an embodiment, the IC comprises a plurality of pixilated elements (12) and a plurality of light interference elements (24), each comprising a first mirror element (16) and a second mirror element (22), a region of the dielectric material (18) separating the first mirror element (16) and the second element (22), and each being arranged over one of said pixilated elements (12), the method further comprising forming the respective first mirror elements (16) in a dielectric layer (14) over a substrate (10) comprising the plurality of pixilated elements; depositing the dielectric material over the dielectric layer; and forming the respective second mirror elements such that each second mirror element is separated from a respective first mirror element by a region of the exposed dielectric material. Hence, an IC having a layer of a dielectric material (18) comprising regions of different thicknesses can be obtained requiring only a few process steps.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed of controlling a LED, comprising driving the LED with a DC current for a first time, interrupting the DC current for a second time such that the first time and the second time sum to a period, determining at least one characteristic of the LED while the DC current is interrupted, and controlling the DC current during a subsequent period in dependence on the at least one characteristic. The invention thus benefits from the simplicity of DC operation. By operating at the LED in a DC mode, rather than say in a PWM mode, the requirement to be able to adjust the duty cycle is avoided. By including interruptions to the DC current, it is possible to utilize the LED itself to act as a sensor in order to determine a characteristic of the LED. The need for additional sensors is thereby avoided.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a calibration circuit, computer program product, and method of calibrating a junction temperature measurement of a semiconductor element, wherein respective forward voltages at junctions of the semiconductor element and a reference temperature sensor are measured, and an absolute ambient temperature is determined by using the reference temperature sensor, and the junction temperature of the semiconductor element is predicted based on the absolute ambient temperature and the measured forward voltages.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for obtaining a thin layer made of a first material on a substrate made of a second material called the final substrate, including the following steps: bonding a thick layer of a first material on one of its main faces on the final substrate at an interface, implantation of gaseous species in the thick layer of first material to create a weakened zone delimiting said thin layer between the interface and the weakened zone, deposit a layer of third material called the self-supporting layer on the thick layer made of first material, fracture within the structure composed of the final substrate, the thick layer of first material and the layer of third material, at the weakened zone to supply the substrate supporting said thin layer.
Abstract:
The adhesion between two layers, in particular two thin layers of a microelectronic device, is a data item of importance. It was found that the closure ratio of the interface could be used, in non-destructive manner, to determine a measurement of bond energy. A method and a device using a magnitude characteristic of this length are described, in particular using low incidence X-ray reflection and electronic density at the interface.