Patent ID: 8141384

Claim:
A method for making an article having LED/extractor pairs, the method comprising: providing an LED array comprising a plurality of LEDs in a first fixed spatial relationship, each LED having a major emitting surface; making an extractor array body at least by: providing a mold having a plurality of cavities therein, each cavity being shaped to form an extractor having an input surface adapted to substantially mate with the major emitting surface of a given one of the LEDs, the cavities disposed in the mold in a second fixed spatial relationship tailored to match the first fixed spatial relationship; filling the mold with a plurality of glass particles; heating the glass particles above glass transition temperatures thereof so that the particles are reshaped to conform to the cavity shapes; cooling the heated glass to form at least portions of solid extractors; and during or after the cooling, forming a land layer that extends between the cavities, connects adjacent solid extractors, and maintains the solid extractors in the second fixed spatial relationship relative to each other to provide the extractor array body; removing the extractor array body from the mold; and coupling the extractor array body to the LED array such that the input surfaces of the solid extractors substantially mate with the major emitting surfaces of the LEDs.