Phosphor, method for producing the same and light-emitting device using the same

• US 8,608,980 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
• Original Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
• Inventors: Shioi, Kousuke, Miki, Hisayuki, Hirosaki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, Carol M
• Application Number:
  US13/765,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 252/301.3 F, 252/301.4 R
• US Class Current: 252/301.4F
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/0883 Arsenides; Nitrides; Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/592 Chalcogenides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77348 Silicon Aluminium Nitrides or Silicon Aluminium Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8592 Applying permanent coating, e.g. protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials

Abstract

A method for providing a phosphor, including a kneading step in which a raw material is kneaded to provide a raw material mixture; a sintering step in which the raw material mixture is sintered; and a heat treatment step in which the sintered raw material mixture is heat-treated, wherein the raw material includes at least one or more M-containing materials selected from MSi₂, MSiN₂, M₂Si₅N₈, M₃Al₂N₄ and MSi₆N₈, wherein M is one or more divalent elements selected from M(0) and M(1).

Claims

1. A method for producing a phosphor, the method comprising:

a kneading step in which a raw material is kneaded to provide a raw material mixture;

a sintering step in which the raw material mixture is sintered; and

a heat treatment step in which the sintered raw material mixture is heat-treated,

wherein the raw material comprises at least one or more M-containing materials selected from MSi₂, MSiN₂, M₂Si₅N₈, M₃Al₂N₄ and MSi₆N₈, wherein M is one or more divalent elements selected from M(0) and M(1), and

wherein the phosphor is represented by a general formula;

M(0)_a M(1)_b M(2)<sub>x−

vm+n)</sub>M(3)<sub>(vm+n)−

y</sub>O_nN<sub>z−

n</sub>, wherein

M(0) is one or more elements selected from Li, Na, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Gd and Lu;

M(1) is one or more activators selected from Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb;

M(2) is one or snore elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Ti Hf and Zr;

M(3) is one or more elements selected from Be, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl and Zn;

O is oxygen;

N is nitrogen; and

an atomic ratio of M(0), M(1), M(2), M(3), O and N is adjusted to satisfy the following;

x, y and z satisfy 33≦

x≦

51, 8≦

y≦

12 and 36≦

z≦

56;

a and b satisfy 3≦

a+b≦

7 and 0.001≦

b≦

1.2;

m and n satisfy 0.8·

me≦

m≦

1.2·

me and 0≦

n≦

7 in which me=a+b; and

v satisfies v={a·

v(0)+b·

v(1)}/(a+b), wherein v(0) is a valence of M(0) ion and v(1) is a valence of M(1) ion.

2. The method for producing a phosphor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of grinding and classifying a mass of the sintered raw material mixture before the heat treatment step, and

another step of grinding and classifying a mass of a heat-treated product after the ground and classified mass of the raw material mixture is heat-treated in the heat treatment step.

3. The method for producing a phosphor according to claim 1, wherein the raw material comprises at least LiSi₂N₃.

4. The method for producing a phosphor according to claim 1, wherein a phosphor powder having a phosphor material of a target composition is produced in advance and the phosphor powder is added to the raw material mixture as a seed.