Lighting Device

Abstract

A lighting device according to the invention comprises at least one semiconductor layer; at least one light emission surface comprising an array of high luminance areas configured to emit light at a first local luminance level and low luminance areas configured to emit no light or to emit light at a second local luminance level lower than the first local luminance level; a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices formed in the semiconductor layer to define the plurality of high luminance areas; wherein the high luminance areas and the low luminance areas are arranged in accordance with a predefined light emission profile of the light emission surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lighting device comprising:
 at least one semiconductor layer;   at least one light emission surface comprising an array of high luminance areas configured to emit light at a first local luminance level and of at least one low luminance area configured to emit no light; and   a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices formed in the semiconductor layer to define the plurality of high luminance areas,   wherein the high luminance areas and the low luminance areas configured to emit no light are arranged in accordance with a predefined light emission profile of the light emission surface and wherein the low luminance area configured to emit no light corresponds to a portion of the semiconductor layer comprising an n-doped region and a p-doped region, wherein at least one of the n-doped region and the a p-doped region is configured not to be electrically connected to a power source.   
     
     
         2 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of trenches formed in the at least one semiconductor layer defining the high luminance areas and the low luminance areas configured to emit no light. 
     
     
         3 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the array further comprises at least one low luminance area configured to emit light at a second local luminance level lower than the first local luminance level. 
     
     
         4 . The lighting device of  claim 3 , wherein a low luminance area configured to emit light at a second local luminance level is configured to be electrically connected to a power source in parallel with a further low luminance area configured to emit light at a second local luminance level and wherein the high luminance areas are configured to be electrically connected in series to the power source. 
     
     
         5 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising first contact elements respectively arranged in correspondence with the low luminance areas configured to emit no light and second contact elements respectively arranged in correspondence with the high luminance areas and the low luminance area configured to emit light at a second local luminance level. 
     
     
         6 . The lighting device of  claim 5 , wherein the first contact elements are configured not to be electrically connected with at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region of respective low luminance areas configured to emit no light. 
     
     
         7 . The lighting device of  claim 4 , wherein segments of an insulating layer are respectively interspaced in between the first contact elements and corresponding low luminance areas configured to emit no light. 
     
     
         8 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the high luminance areas and low luminance areas form a two-dimensional rectangular or square array. 
     
     
         9 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the high luminance areas and the low luminance area configured to emit light at a second local luminance level correspond to pixels of a matrix light emitting diode arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined light emission profile is an inhomogeneous light emission profile which varies in correspondence with a predefined pattern across the light emission surface. 
     
     
         11 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined light emission profile has a maximum at or close to one edge of the light emission surface, whereby a local luminance level of the light emission surface decreases towards a minimum at or close to an opposing edge of the light emission surface. 
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a lighting device, the method comprising:
 providing at least one semiconductor layer;   providing at least one light emission surface with an array of high luminance areas configured to emit light at a first local luminance level and low luminance areas configured to emit no light;   forming a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in the semiconductor layer to define the plurality of high luminance areas;   arranging the high luminance areas and the low luminance areas configured to emit no light in accordance with a predefined light emission profile of the light emission surface;   arranging first contact elements respectively in correspondence with the low luminance areas configured to emit no light and second contact elements respectively in correspondence with the high luminance areas; and   arranging the first contact elements respectively to be not in electrical contact with at least one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region of respective low luminance areas configured to emit no light.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising providing low luminance areas configured to emit light at a second local luminance level lower than the first local luminance level. 
     
     
         14 . An automotive lighting device comprising the lighting device of  claim 1 .