Sialon phosphor, process for producing the same, and illuminator and luminescent element employing the same

• US 8,685,279 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Emoto, Hideyuki, Ibukiyama, Masahiro, Kawasaki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Emily
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDMONDSON, LYNNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/791,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20130193600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 252/301.4 F, 252/301.6 F, 252/301.4 R
• US Class Current: 252/301.4F
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3208 Calcium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. lime
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3217 Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3224 Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3865 Aluminium nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3873 Silicon nitrides, e.g. silicon carbonitride, silicon oxynitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/442 Carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/445 Fluoride containing anions, e.g. fluosilicate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5409 expressed by specific surface values
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/761 Unit-cell parameters, e.g. lattice constants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/766 Trigonal symmetry, e.g. alpha-Si3N4 or alpha-Sialon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/767 Hexagonal symmetry, e.g. beta-Si3N4, beta-Sialon, alpha-SiC or hexa-ferrites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/597 based on silicon oxynitride, e.g. SIALONS
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6262 of calcined, sintered clinker or ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/08 containing inorganic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/0883 Arsenides; Nitrides; Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/646 Silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7731 with alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77348 Silicon Aluminium Nitrides or Silicon Aluminium Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Phosphor that can provide white LED that uses a blue LED or an ultraviolet LED as a light source and that has superior luminous efficiency. This phosphor includes, as a main component, α-type sialon represented by a general expression: (M1)x(M2)y(Si,Al)₁₂(O,N)₁₆ (where M1 is one or more types of elements selected from a group consisting of Li, Mg, Ca, Y, and lanthanide element (except for La and Ce) and M2 is one or more types of elements selected from a group consisting of Ce, Pr, Eu, Tb, Yb, and Er, and 0.3≦X+Y≦1.5 and 0<y≦0.7 are established and the sialon phosphor consists of a powder having a specific surface area of 0.2 to 0.5 m²/g.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing sialon phosphor, comprising:

a step of mixing silicon-containing material, aluminum-containing material, and raw material including M1 (one or more types of elements selected from a group consisting of Li, Mg, Ca, Sr, Y, and lanthanide metal (except for La and Ce)), raw material including M2 (one or more types of elements selected from Ce, Pr, Eu, Tb, Yb, and Er), and previously-synthesized α

-type sialon phosphor to prepare granulated powders; and

a step of heating the powders in a nitrogen gas atmosphere at 1500 to 2100 degrees C. to obtain α

-type sialon phosphor,

said step of preparing granulated powder includes;

mixing said raw material, solvent, and a binder to prepare slurry,

recovering said slurry by a spray drier to make granulated powder, and

removing the binder from said recovered granulated powder.

3. The method of manufacturing sialon phosphor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the particle diameter of said granulated powder is 10 to 35 μ

m.

2. A method of manufacturing sialon phosphor, comprising:

a step of mixing silicon-containing material, aluminum-containing material, raw material including M3 (one or more types of elements selected from a group consisting of Mn, Ce, and Eu) and previously-synthesized β

-type sialon phosphor to prepare granulated powders; and

a step of heating the powders in a nitrogen gas atmosphere at 1500 to 2100 degrees C. to obtain β

-type sialon phosphor,

said step of preparing granulated powder includes;

mixing said raw material, solvent, and a binder to prepare slurry,

recovering said slurry by a spray drier to make granulated powder, and

removing the binder from said recovered granulated powder.

4. The method of manufacturing sialon phosphor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the particle diameter of said granulated powder is 10 to 35 μ

m.