Abstract

This paper presents a thermal analysis and experimental validation of natural convective heat transfer of a high-brightness light-emitting diode (LED) package assembly. The substrate materials used in the LED package assembly were filled and doped using boron nitride (BN) filler. The thermal conductivity of the BN-filled substrate was measured. The temperature distribution and heat flow of the LED package were assessed by thermal profile measurement using an infrared (IR) camera and thermocouples. In addition, the heat transfer process of the LED package assembly in natural convection was also simulated using the computational fluid dynamics method. The optical performance of the LED package was monitored and investigated with various filler contents. The heat conduction mechanism in the substrate was analyzed. IR thermogram showed that the BN-doped substrate could effectively lower the surface temperature of the LED package by 21.5°C compared with the traditional FR4 substrate. According to the IESNA LM 80 lifetime testing method, reduction in LED temperature can prolong the LED’s lifetime by 19,000 h. The optical performance of the LED package assembly was also found to be improved significantly in lighting power by 10%. As a result, the overall heat dissipation capability of the LED package to the surrounding is enhanced, which improves the LED’s efficacy.

© 2013 Optical Society of America