JPH0590966U - LED array chip - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The illumination light emitted from the light source is effectively used to substantially increase the amount of emitted light. In an LED array chip 10 in which a plurality of LED dots 12 are formed in rows on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate 11, a condenser lens 13 is arranged on the light emitting side of each LED array chip 10 so as to cover the light emitting surface. To do.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an LED array chip used as a light source for printers, facsimiles, digital copiers and the like.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a light source used in a printer head of a printer or the like, an LED array chip having a large number of light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED) chips arranged in a line has been used. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing such an LED array chip 1. In the figure, the LED array chip 1 is formed in rows by a large number of LED dots 3 selectively diffusing Zn on the upper surface of a long semiconductor substrate (for example, GaAs P) 2.

When such an LED array chip 1 is used as a light source for a printer, for example, a configuration as shown in FIG. 4 is adopted. Specifically, a lens array 4 is arranged above each LED dot 3 of the LED array chip 1 with a predetermined interval, and light emitted from each LED dot passes through this lens array 4. An image is formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum (not shown), and the surface of the photosensitive drum is exposed.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 By the way, in the LED array chip 1, when a printer or the like is configured by using this as a light source, the light emitted from each LED dot 3 is radially diffused with the LED dot 3 as the center, as shown by the arrow. It will be. Therefore, the light emitted from each LED dot 3 and emitted to the side thereof does not enter the lens array 4 located above the LED dot 3 and diffuses obliquely upward. There is a problem that the amount of light incident on the lens array 4 is insufficient and the accuracy of the image formed on the photosensitive surface is reduced.

Particularly in recent printers and the like, there is an increasing demand for higher printing speed, and the amount of light is particularly insufficient during high-speed reading. For this reason, it is difficult to increase the amount of light emitted from the LED dot 3 itself, and it is necessary to increase the amount of light incident on the lens array 4 from the LED array chip 1 regardless of this. The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and provides an LED array chip capable of substantially increasing the amount of emitted light by effectively utilizing the illumination light emitted from the light source. The purpose is to

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In the present invention, the above object is to provide an LED array chip in which a plurality of LED dots are formed in a row on the upper surface of a substrate, and a condenser lens is provided on the light emitting side of each LED dot so as to cover the light emitting surface. It is achieved by the arrangement.

[0007]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, since the condenser lens is arranged on the light emitting side of each LED dot which constitutes the LED array chip so as to cover the LED dot, the illumination light emitted by each LED dot is collected by this collection lens. It is condensed by the optical lens. Therefore, the amount of light lost due to diffusion during light emission is extremely small, and the light collected by this condenser lens can be efficiently incident on, for example, the lens array above it, and the amount of light emitted by the LED array chip is substantially reduced. Will increase.

[0008]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an LED array chip 10 of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view thereof. In the figure, an LED array chip 10 has a long semiconductor substrate (for example, GaAsP) 11 and LED dots 12 formed in rows on one side of the long semiconductor substrate 11 by selectively diffusing Zn. The configuration up to this point is common to the conventional LED array chip.

In this embodiment, a condenser lens 13 as shown in FIG. 2 is arranged on each LED dot 12. The condenser lens 13 is integrally disposed on the light emitting surface of each LED dot 12 exposed on the upper surface of the long semiconductor substrate 11. Specifically, it is configured by fixing a convex lens on the light emitting surface of these LED dots 12. This convex lens is formed by, for example, adhering a minute glass lens or a lens made of a transparent resin to the light emitting surface of the LED dot 12, or forming a liquid resin into a predetermined shape and printing it and curing it. To be done.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. The case where the present LED array chip 10 is used as a light source of a printer, for example, is described. When each LED dot 12 is energized through the long semiconductor substrate 11 of the LED array chip 10, these LED dots 12 Emits light. Due to this light emission, the light emitted from each LED dot 12 is emitted while diffusing in four directions, but by passing through the condensing lens 13, in this embodiment, it is condensed so as to be a parallel light beam. The light enters the lens array 14 located above each LED dot 12, and the lens array 14 forms an image on, for example, the photosensitive surface of a photoreceptor not shown. For this reason, the light lost by diffusion is reduced as much as possible, and the amount of light incident on the lens array 14 is relatively increased. As a result, an extremely accurate image is formed on the photosensitive surface even when the printer prints at high speed. Needless to say, the lens 14 is not limited to the shape shown in the figure, and may be any lens that can collect the illumination light from the LED array chip.

[0011]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an LED array chip that can effectively prevent the illumination light emitted from the light source from being diffused and lost, and can substantially increase the emitted light amount. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an LED array chip according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional LED array chip.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional LED array chip.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 LED array chip 11 Long semiconductor substrate 12 LED dot 13 Condensing lens

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An LED array chip in which a plurality of LED dots are formed in rows on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, wherein a condensing lens is arranged on the light emitting side of each LED dot so as to cover the light emitting surface. LED array chip.