Power and photon budget of a remote phosphor LED module

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Solid-State Lighting

Background:

• Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are crucial for general lighting.
• Remote phosphor technology offers higher efficiency and design flexibility than intimate phosphor LEDs.
• Optimizing remote phosphor LED systems requires accurate simulation models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simulation model for remote phosphor converter (RPC) performance.
• To characterize the optical properties of an RPC, including its bi-spectral bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF).
• To predict the power and photon budget of remote phosphor modules.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of an RPC using bi-directional scattering distribution function (BSDF) measurements.
• Determination of the bi-spectral BSDF to account for wavelength conversion.
• Development of an iterative model incorporating BSDF data, LED emission, and mixing chamber efficiency.

Main Results:

• The bi-spectral BSDF of the RPC was determined, capturing blue light interaction and wavelength conversion.
• An iterative model was introduced to predict module power and photon budget, including light recuperation.
• Simulated results showed good agreement with experimental data, with errors below 4%.

Conclusions:

• The developed simulation model accurately predicts remote phosphor module efficiency.
• This model enables optimization of remote phosphor LED systems for improved performance.
• The bi-spectral BSDF characterization is essential for accurate modeling of wavelength conversion.