Abstract:
One or more LED dice are mounted on a support structure. The support structure may be a submount with the LED dice already electrically connected to leads on the submount. A mold has indentations in it corresponding to the positions of the LED dice on the support structure. The indentations are filled with a liquid optically transparent material, such as silicone, which when cured forms a lens material. The shape of the indentations will be the shape of the lens. The mold and the LED dice/support structure are brought together so that each LED die resides within the liquid silicone in an associated indentation. The mold is then heated to cure (harden) the silicone. The mold and the support structure are then separated, leaving a complete silicone lens over each LED die. This over molding process may be repeated with different molds to create concentric shells of lenses. Each concentric lens may have a different property, such as containing a phosphor, providing a special radiation pattern, having a different hardness value, or curable by a different technique (e.g., UV vs. heat).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/990,208, filed Nov. 15, 2004, by Grigoriy Basin et al., entitled “Molded Lens Over LED Die.” 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to light emitting diodes (LEDs) and, in particular, to a technique for forming a lens over an LED die. 
     BACKGROUND 
     LED dies typically emit light in a lambertian pattern. It is common to use a lens over the LED die to narrow the beam or to make a side-emission pattern. A common type of lens for a surface mounted LED is preformed molded plastic, which is bonded to a package in which the LED die is mounted. One such lens is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,924, assigned to Lumileds Lighting and incorporated herein by reference. 
     SUMMARY 
     A technique for forming a lens for surface mounted LEDs is described herein. 
     One or more LED dice are mounted on a support structure. The support structure may be a ceramic substrate, a silicon substrate, or other type of support structure with the LED dice electrically connected to metal pads on the support structure. The support structure may be a submount, which is mounted on a circuit board or a heat sink in a package. 
     A mold has indentations in it corresponding to the positions of the LED dice on the support structure. The indentations are filled with a liquid, optically transparent material, such as silicone, which when cured forms a hardened lens material. The shape of the indentations will be the shape of the lens. The mold and the LED dice/support structure are brought together so that each LED die resides within the liquid lens material in an associated indentation. 
     The mold is then heated to cure (harden) the lens material. The mold and the support structure are then separated, leaving a complete lens over each LED die. This general process will be referred to as overmolding. 
     The overmolding process may be repeated with different molds to create concentric or overlapping shells of lenses. Each lens may have a different property, such as containing a phosphor, being a different material, providing a different radiation pattern, having a different hardness value, having a different index of refraction, or curable by a different technique (e.g., UV vs. heat). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of four LED dice mounted on a support structure, such as a submount, and a mold for forming a lens around each LED die. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the LED dice being inserted into indentations in the mold filled with a liquid lens material. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the LED dice removed from the mold after the liquid has been cured, resulting in a lens encapsulating each LED die. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an array of LED dice on a submount or circuit board with a molded lens formed over each LED die. 
         FIG. 5  is a close-up side view of a flip-chip LED die mounted on a submount, which is, in turn, mounted on a circuit board, and where a molded lens is formed over the LED die. 
         FIG. 6  is a close-up side view of a non-flip-chip LED die mounted on a submount, which is, in turn, mounted on a circuit board, where wires electrically connect n and p metal on the LED die to leads on the circuit board, and where a molded lens is formed over the LED die. 
         FIGS. 7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11  are cross-sectional views of an LED die with different lenses formed over it. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a side-emitting lens molded onto the LED die using the inventive techniques. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of a collimating lens molded onto the LED die using the inventive techniques. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a preformed side-emitting lens affixed over a lambertian lens that has been molded onto the LED die using the inventive techniques. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of a backlight for a liquid crystal display or other type of display using the LED and side-emitting lens of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a cell phone with a camera that uses as a flash an LED with a molded lens. 
         FIGS. 17 and 18  are cross-sectional views of two types of molded lenses. All lenses shown are symmetrical about the center axis, although the invention may apply to non-symmetrical lenses as well. 
         FIGS. 19-22  illustrate surface features on an inner lens or an outer shell lens for obtaining a desired emission pattern. 
         FIG. 23  illustrates the use of a high domed lens for a collimated emission pattern. 
         FIGS. 24 and 25  illustrate the use of a hard outer lens and a soft inner lens to limit the stress on a wire bond. 
         FIGS. 26-28  illustrate the use of an outer lens formed on various types of inner or intermediate lenses for a side-emitting pattern. 
         FIG. 29  illustrates another side-emitting molded lens. 
         FIG. 30  illustrates the use of molded shells, each containing a different phosphor. 
         FIG. 31  illustrates forming a mold portion on the support substrate for forming a molded lens. 
         FIG. 32  illustrates depositing a metal reflector over a portion of the lens for achieving a desired emission pattern. 
         FIG. 33  is a side view of a liquid crystal display using LEDs with side-emitting lenses in a backlight. 
         FIG. 34  is a side view of a rear projection TV using LEDs with collimating lenses as a RGB light source. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As a preliminary matter, a conventional LED is formed on a growth substrate. In the example used, the LED is a GaN-based LED, such as an AlInGaN LED, for producing blue or UV light. Typically, a relatively thick n-type GaN layer is grown on a sapphire growth substrate using conventional techniques. The relatively thick GaN layer typically includes a low temperature nucleation layer and one or more additional layers so as to provide a low-defect lattice structure for the n-type cladding layer and active layer. One or more n-type cladding layers are then formed over the thick n-type layer, followed by an active layer, one or more p-type cladding layers, and a p-type contact layer (for metallization). 
     Various techniques are used to gain electrical access to the n-layers. In a flip-chip example, portions of the p-layers and active layer are etched away to expose an n-layer for metallization. In this way the p contact and n contact are on the same side of the chip and can be directly electrically attached to the package (or submount) contact pads. Current from the n-metal contact initially flows laterally through the n-layer. In contrast, in a vertical injection (non-flip-chip) LED, an n-contact is formed on one side of the chip, and a p-contact is formed on the other side of the chip. Electrical contact to one of the p or n-contacts is typically made with a wire or a metal bridge, and the other contact is directly bonded to a package (or submount) contact pad. A flip-chip LED is used in the examples of  FIGS. 1-3  for simplicity. 
     Examples of forming LEDs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,649,440 and 6,274,399, both assigned to Lumileds Lighting and incorporated by reference. 
     Optionally, a conductive substrate is bonded to the LED layers (typically to the p-layers) and the sapphire substrate is removed. One or more LED dice may be bonded to a submount, with the conductive substrate directly bonded to the submount, to be described in greater detail with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . One or more submounts may be bonded to a printed circuit board, which contains metal leads for connection to other LEDs or to a power supply. The circuit board may interconnect various LEDs in series and/or parallel. 
     The particular LEDs formed and whether or not they are mounted on a submount is not important for purposes of understanding the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of four LED dice  10  mounted on a support structure  12 . The support structure may be a submount (e.g., ceramic or silicon with metal leads), a metal heat sink, a printed circuit board, or any other structure. In the present example, the support structure  12  is a ceramic submount with metal pads/leads. 
     A mold  14  has indentations  16  corresponding to the desired shape of a lens over each LED die  10 . Mold  14  is preferably formed of a metal. A very thin non-stick film  18 , having the general shape of mold  14 , is placed over mold  14 . Film  18  is of a well known conventional material that prevents the sticking of silicone to metal. 
     Film  18  is not needed if the lens material does not stick to the mold. This may be accomplished by using a non-stick mold coating, using a non-stick mold material, or using a mold process that results in a non-stick interface. Such processes may involve selecting certain process temperatures to obtain the minimum stick. By not using film  18 , more complex lenses can be formed. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the mold indentions  16  have been filled with a heat-curable liquid lens material  20 . The lens material  20  may be any suitable optically transparent material such as silicone, an epoxy, or a hybrid silicone/epoxy. A hybrid may be used to achieve a matching coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). Silicone and epoxy have a sufficiently high index of refraction (greater than 1.4) to greatly improve the light extraction from an AlInGaN or AlInGaP LED as well as act as a lens. One type of silicone has an index of refraction of 1.76. 
     A vacuum seal is created between the periphery of the support structure  12  and mold  14 , and the two pieces are pressed against each other so that each LED die  10  is inserted into the liquid lens material  20  and the lens material  20  is under compression. 
     The mold is then heated to about 150 degrees centigrade (or other suitable temperature) for a time to harden the lens material  20 . 
     The support structure  12  is then separated from mold  14 . Film  18  causes the resulting hardened lens to be easily released from mold  14 . Film  18  is then removed. 
     In another embodiment, the LED dice  10  in  FIG. 1  may be first covered with a material, such as silicone or phosphor particles in a binder. The mold indentations  16  are filled with another material. When the dice are then placed in the mold, the mold material is shaped over the covering material. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the resulting structure with a molded lens  22  over each LED die  10 . In one embodiment, the molded lens is between 1 mm and 5 mm in diameter. The lens  22  may be any size or shape. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a resulting structure where the support structure  12  supports an array of LED dice, each having a molded lens  22 . The mold used would have a corresponding array of indentations. If the support structure  12  were a ceramic or silicon submount, each LED (with its underlying submount portion) can be separated by sawing or breaking the submount  12  to form individual LED dice. Alternatively, the support structure  12  may be separated/diced to support subgroups of LEDs or may be used without being separated/diced. 
     The lens  22  not only improves the light extraction from the LED die and refracts the light to create a desired emission pattern, but the lens also encapsulates the LED die to protect the die from contaminants, add mechanical strength, and protect any wire bonds. 
       FIG. 5  is a simplified close-up view of one embodiment of a single flip-chip LED die on a submount  24  formed of any suitable material, such as a ceramic or silicon. In one embodiment, submount  24  acted as the support structure  12  in  FIGS. 1-4 , and the die/submount of  FIG. 5  was separated from the structure of  FIG. 4  by sawing. The LED die  10  of  FIG. 5  has a bottom p-contact layer  26 , a p-metal contact  27 , p-type layers  28 , a light emitting active layer  30 , n-type layers  32 , and an n-metal contact  31  contacting the n-type layers  32 . Metal pads on submount  24  are directly metal-bonded to contacts  27  and  31 . Vias through submount  24  terminate in metal pads on the bottom surface of submount  24 , which are bonded to the metal leads  40  and  44  on a circuit board  45 . The metal leads  40  and  44  are connected to other LEDs or to a power supply. Circuit board  45  may be a metal plate (e.g., aluminum) with the metal leads  40  and  44  overlying an insulating layer. The molded lens  22 , formed using the technique of  FIGS. 1-3 , encapsulates the LED die  10 . 
     The LED die  10  in  FIG. 5  may also be a non-flip-chip die, with a wire connecting the top n-layers  32  to a metal pad on the submount  24 . The lens  22  may encapsulate the wire. 
     In one embodiment, the circuit board  45  itself may be the support structure  12  of  FIGS. 1-3 . Such an embodiment is shown in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a simplified close-up view of a non-flip-chip LED die  10  having a top n-metal contact  34  connected to a metal lead  40  on circuit board  45  by a wire  38 . The LED die  10  is mounted on a submount  36 , which in the example of  FIG. 6  is a metal slab. A wire  42  electrically connects the p-layers  26 / 28  to a metal lead  44  on circuit board  45 . The lens  22  is shown completely encapsulating the wires and submount  36 ; however, in other embodiments the entire submount or the entire wire need not be encapsulated. 
     A common prior art encapsulation method is to spin on a protective coating. However, that encapsulation process is inappropriate for adding a phosphor coating to the LED die since the thickness of the encapsulant over the LED die is uneven. Also, such encapsulation methods do not form a lens. A common technique for providing a phosphor over the LED die is to fill a reflective cup surrounding the LED die with a silicone/phosphor composition. However, that technique forms a phosphor layer with varying thicknesses and does not form a suitable lens. If a lens is desired, additional processes still have to create a plastic molded lens and affix it over the LED die. 
       FIGS. 7-11  illustrate various lenses that may be formed using the above-described techniques. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an LED die  10  that has been coated with a phosphor  60  using any suitable method. One such method is by electrophoresis, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,488, assigned to Lumileds Lighting and incorporated herein by reference. Suitable phosphors are well known. A lens  22  is formed using the techniques described above. The phosphor  60  is energized by the LED emission (e.g., blue or UV light) and emits light of a different wavelength, such as green, yellow, or red. The phosphor emission alone or in conjunction with the LED emission may produce white light. 
     Processes for coating an LED with a phosphor are time-consuming. To eliminate the process for coating the LED die with a phosphor, the phosphor powder may be mixed with the liquid silicone so as to become embedded in the lens  62 , shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , to provide a carefully controlled thickness of phosphor material over the LED die, an inner lens  64  is formed using the above-described techniques, and a separate molding step (using a mold with deeper and wider indentations) is used to form an outer phosphor/silicone shell  66  of any thickness directly over the inner lens  64 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an outer lens  68  that may be formed over the phosphor/silicone shell  66  using another mold to further shape the beam. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates shells  70 ,  72 , and  74  of red, green, and blue-emission phosphors, respectively, overlying clear silicone shells  76 ,  78 , and  80 . In this case, LED die  10  emits UV light, and the combination of the red, green, and blue emissions produces a white light. All shells are produced with the above-described methods. 
     Many other shapes of lenses can be formed using the molding technique described above.  FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of LED  10 , submount  24 , and a molded side-emitting lens  84 . In one embodiment, lens  84  is formed of a very flexible material, such as silicone, which flexes as it is removed from the mold. When the lens is not a simple shape, the release film  18  ( FIG. 1 ) will typically not be used. 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of LED  10 , submount  24 , and a molded collimating lens  86 . The lens  86  can be produced using a deformable mold or by using a soft lens material that compresses when being pulled from the mold and expands to its molded shape after being released from the mold. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates how a preformed lens  88  can be affixed over a molded lambertian lens  22 . In the example of  FIG. 14 , lens  22  is formed in the previously described manner. Lens  22  serves to encapsulate and protect LED  10  from contaminants. A preformed side-emitting lens  88  is then affixed over lens  22  using a UV curable adhesive or a mechanical clamp. This lens-forming technique has advantages over conventional techniques. In a conventional technique, a preformed lens (e.g., a side emitting lens) is adhesively affixed over the LED die, and any gaps are filled in by injecting silicone. The conventional process is difficult to perform due to, among other reasons, carefully positioning the separated die/submount for the lens placement and gap-filling steps. Using the inventive technique of  FIG. 14 , a large array of LEDs ( FIG. 4 ) can be encapsulated simultaneously by forming a molded lens over each. Then, a preformed lens  88  can be affixed over each molded lens  22  while the LEDs are still in the array ( FIG. 4 ) or after being separated. 
     Additionally, the molded lens can be made very small (e.g., 1-2 mm diameter), unlike a conventional lens. Thus, a very small, fully encapsulated LED can be formed. Such LEDs can be made to have a very low profile, which is beneficial for certain applications. 
       FIG. 14  also shows a circuit board  45  on which submount  24  is mounted. This circuit board  45  may have mounted on it an array of LEDs/submounts  24 . 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of a backlight for a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other display that uses a backlight. Common uses are for televisions, monitors, cellular phones, etc. The LEDs may be red, green, and blue to create white light. The LEDs form a two-dimensional array. In the example shown, each LED structure is that shown in  FIG. 14 , but any suitable lens may be used. The bottom and sidewalls  90  of the backlight box are preferably coated with a white reflectively-diffusing material. Directly above each LED is a white diffuser dot  92  to prevent spots of light from being emitted by the backlight directly above each LED. The dots  92  are supported by a transparent or diffusing PMMA sheet  94 . The light emitted by the side-emitting lenses  88  is mixed in the lower portion of the backlight, then further mixed in the upper portion of the backlight before exiting the upper diffuser  96 . Linear arrays of LEDs may be mounted on narrow circuits boards  45 . 
       FIG. 16  illustrates an LED  10  with a molded lens  22  being used as a flash in a camera. The camera in  FIG. 16  is part of a cellular telephone  98 . The cellular telephone  98  includes a color screen  100  (which may have a backlight using the LEDs described herein) and a keypad  102 . 
     As discussed with respect to  FIG. 10 , an outer lens may be formed over the inner shell to further shape the beam. Different shell materials may be used, depending on the requirements of the various shells.  FIGS. 17-30  illustrate examples of various lenses and materials that may be used in conjunction with the overmolding process. 
       FIGS. 17 and 18  illustrate two shapes of molded lenses for an inner shell formed using the molding techniques described above. Many LEDs  10  may be mounted on the same support structure  12 . The support structure  12  may be a ceramic or silicon submount with metal traces and contact pads, as previously described. Any number of LEDs may be mounted on the same support structure  12 , and all LEDs on the same support structure  12  would typically be processed in an identical manner, although not necessarily. For example, if the support structure were large and the light pattern for the entire LED array were specified, each LED lens may differ to provide the specified overall light pattern. 
     An underfill material may be injected to fill any gap between the bottom of the LED die  10  and the support substrate  12  to prevent any air gaps under the LED and to improve heat conduction, among other things. 
       FIG. 17  has been described above with respect to  FIGS. 3-6 , where the inner molded lens  22  is generally hemispherical for a lambertian radiation pattern. The inner molded lens  106  in  FIG. 18  is generally rectangular with rounded edges. Depending on the radiation pattern to be provided by an outer lens, one of the inner molded lenses  22  or  106  may be more suitable. Other shapes of inner molded lenses may also be suitable. The top down view of each lens will generally be circular. 
       FIG. 19  illustrates the structure of  FIG. 18  with the lens outer surface having a pattern that refracts light to achieve a desired radiation pattern. The outer surface pattern may be directly formed in the inner molded lens (by the mold itself), or the outer surface pattern may be formed in an outer lens that is overmolded onto the inner molded lens or is affixed to it by an adhesive (e.g., silicone, epoxy, etc.). Pattern  108  is a diffraction grating, while pattern  110  uses binary steps to refract the light. In the examples, the pattern forms a generally side-emitting lens with the radiation pattern shown in  FIG. 20 . In  FIG. 20 , the peak intensity occurs within 50-80 degrees and is significantly greater than the intensity at 0 degrees. 
     The requirements for the inner lens are generally different from the requirements for the outer lens. For example, the inner lens should have good adhesion to the support structure, not yellow or become more opaque over time, have a high index of refraction (greater than 1.4), not break or stress any wires to the LED, withstand the high LED temperatures, and have a compatible thermal coefficient. The inner lens should be non-rigid (e.g., silicone) to not provide stress on the LED or any wires. In contrast, the outer lens material generally only needs to be able to be patterned with the desired pattern and adhere to the inner lens. The outer lens may overmolded or may be preformed and adhesively affixed to the inner lens. The material for the outer lens may be UV curable, while the material for the inner lens may be thermally cured. Thermal curing takes longer than UV curing. 
     Generally, the range of hardness for the inner lens material is Shore 00 5-90, while the range of hardness for the outer shell(s) is Shore A 30 or more. 
       FIG. 21  illustrates a Fresnel lens pattern  112  formed on the outer surface of the lens for creating a generally side-emitting light pattern similar to that of  FIG. 20 . The outer surface may be the outer surface of the inner molded lens or the outer surface of an outer shell, as described with respect to  FIG. 19 . This applies to all patterns described herein. 
       FIG. 22  illustrates pyramid  114  or cone shaped  116  patterns on the outer lens surface to create a collimating light pattern or another light pattern. 
       FIG. 23  illustrates a high dome outer lens  118  for creating a collimating pattern. 
     The surface patterns of FIGS.  19  and  21 - 23  may be configured (e.g., by changing the surface angles) to create any light pattern. Holographic structures, TIR, and other patterns may be formed. Collimating light patterns are typically used for rear projection TVs, while side-emitting light patterns are typically used for backlighting LCD screens. 
       FIG. 24  illustrates the use of a soft (e.g, Shore XX) material, such as a silicone gel, as the inner molded lens  124  so as to not stress the wire  126  bonded to the LED  10 . The gel is typically UV cured. The outer lens  128  may be molded or preformed and affixed with an adhesive. The outer lens  128  will typically be much harder for durability, resistance to particles, etc. The outer lens  128  may be silicone, epoxy-silicone, epoxy, silicone elastomers, hard rubber, other polymers, or other material. The outer lens may be UV or thermally cured. 
       FIG. 25  is similar to  FIG. 24  but with a different shaped inner molded lens  129  (like  FIG. 18 ) for a different emission pattern or a lower profile. Lens  129  may be a soft silicone gel. The outer lens  130  will further shape the emission pattern and protect the soft inner lens  129 . 
     The LEDs in all figures may be flip-chips or wire bonded types. 
       FIG. 26  illustrates an LED structure with a soft inner molded lens  132 , having the properties needed for the inner lens, a hard intermediate shell  134  to act as an interface layer and for structural stability, and an outer lens  136  for creating a side-emitting light pattern. The outer lens  136  may be soft to facilitate the molding process. Alternatively, the outer lens  136  may be preformed and adhesively affixed to the intermediate shell  134 . The use of the intermediate shell  134  makes the choice of the outer lens material essentially independent of the inner lens material. 
       FIG. 27  illustrates how the outer lens  138  may be formed on any portion of the intermediate shell  134  or inner lens  132 . 
       FIG. 28  illustrates the formation of the outer lens  142  directly on the inner lens  144  material. 
       FIG. 29  illustrates another shape of side-emitting lens  145  molded over an inner lens  132 . Lens  145  may be directly molded over LED die  10  without any inner lens. 
       FIG. 30  illustrates an LED where each shell  146 ,  147 , and  148  contains a different phosphor material, such as a red-emitting phosphor, a green-emitting phosphor, and a blue-emitting phosphor. The LED die  10  may emit UV. The gaps between phosphor particles allow the UV to pass through an inner shell to energize the phosphor in an outer shell. Alternatively, only red and green phosphor shells are used, and the LED die  10  emits blue light. The combination of red, green, and blue light create white light. The thickness of the shells, the density of the phosphor particles, and the order of the phosphor colors, among other things, can be adjusted to obtain the desired light. Any shape of lenses may be used. 
       FIG. 31  illustrates the use of a mold pattern  149  on the support structure  12  itself. A high index material (e.g., a polymer) or a reflective material (e.g., aluminum or silver) is formed by either molding the pattern on the support structure  12 , using a method similar to the method shown in  FIG. 1 , or using a metallization process, or using another suitable process. The mold pattern  149  is then used as a mold for another material forming a lens  150 . In one embodiment, the lens  150  material is a liquid (e.g., silicone) that is deposited in the mold formed on the support structure  12 , then cured. The surface may then be planarized. The resulting lens collimates the light by reflecting/refracting the light impinging on the walls like a reflector cup. 
       FIG. 32  illustrates a molded lens  22  with metal  151  sputtered around its side to reflect light emitted by the LED  10 . The reflected light will be scattered by the LED  10  and be eventually emitted through the top opening. The metal  151  may be any reflective material such as aluminum or silver. The metal may instead be sputtered on the top of the lens  22  to create a side-emission pattern. The lens  22  may be made any shape to create the desired light emission pattern. 
       FIG. 33  is a side view of a liquid crystal display (LCD)  152  with an LCD screen  154 , having controllable RGB pixels, a diffuser  156 , and a backlight  158  for mixing light from red, green, and blue LEDs  160  to create white light. The backlight  158  is a diffusively reflective box. The LEDs  160  have side-emitting lenses made using any of the above-described techniques. 
       FIG. 34  is a side view of a rear projection television  162  with a front lens  164  for brightening the image within a specified viewing angle, a set of red, green, and blue LEDs  166 , modulator/optics  170  for modulating and focusing the RGB light to produce a color TV image, and a reflector  172 . The modulator may be an array of controllable mirrors, an LCD panel, or any other suitable device. The LEDs  166  have collimating lenses made using any of the above-described techniques. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.