Modeling white light-emitting diodes with phosphor layers

With a blue light-emitting diode and a phosphor layer to downconvert blue light to a second light, such as yellow, white light can be produced. The authors developed a one-dimensional model to describe the light propagating in the phosphor layer in terms of light absorption, conversion, and reflection. The parameters required for the model were determined from the data obtained by using multiple-layer phosphor films. The model predicts that, with a reflector between the diode and the phosphor layer that is blue-light transparent but reflects other visible light, the normalized white light intensity is above 0.9, higher than that of conventional packages (0.6-0.8). (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.