Patent ID: 7387400

Claim:
A light emitting device comprising: spherical photo-electric converting elements each comprising: a spherical crystal formed of one of p type semiconductor and n type semiconductor material; a diffusion layer formed adjacent a surface of the spherical crystal; a pn junction formed by said diffusion layer in the spherical crystal; first and second electrodes connected to opposing sides of the pn junction and respectively disposed on opposing top and bottom sides of said spherical crystal with a center of said spherical crystal disposed substantially between the first and second electrodes; and a substantially spherical light receiving surface; semispherical lens members for directing light to the spherical photo-electric converting elements; partial-spherical metallic reflection members disposed below the spherical photo-electric converting elements and configured to reflect light incident on the partial-spherical metallic reflection members to a lower surface of said spherical photo-electric converting elements, each of said partial-spherical metallic reflection members being configured to function as a lead frame and being connected to the second electrode of a corresponding one of said spherical photo-electric converting elements disposed above said partial-spherical metallic reflection member; a luminous device for emitting light using power from said spherical photo-electric converting elements; a synthetic resin member integrally formed with the lens members and embedding the spherical photo-electric converting elements, the luminous device, and the partial-spherical metallic reflection members; and said spherical photo-electric converting elements being connected in series by said first electrodes of each of said spherical photo-electric converting elements, with exception of a last one of said spherical photo-electric converting elements in the series, being connected to one of the partial-spherical metallic reflection members disposed below an adjacent one of said spherical photo-electric converting elements in the series.