Phosphor materials and related devices

• US 8,703,016 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nammalwar, Prasanth Kumar, Setlur, Anant Achyut, Porob, Digamber Gurudas, Manepalli, Satya Kishore
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Emily
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDMONDSON, LYNNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/170,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 252/301.4 H, 252/301.6 R, 252/301.4 R, 313/467, 313/468, 313/503, 313/565, 313/567, 313/571
• US Class Current: 252/301.4H
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/0883 Arsenides; Nitrides; Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/617 Silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77214 Aluminosilicates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77347 Silicon Nitrides or Silicon Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7774 Aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77927 Silicon Nitrides or Silicon Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/44 Devices characterised by the luminescent material
• 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 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8592 Applying permanent coating, e.g. protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials

Abstract

A phosphor material is presented that includes a blend of a first phosphor, a second phosphor and a third phosphor. The first phosphor includes a composition having a general formula of ((Sr_1−zM_z)_1−(x+w)A_wCe_x)₃(Al_1−ySi_y)O_4+y+3(x−w)F_{1−y−3(x−w)}, wherein 0<x≦0.10, 0≦y≦0.5, 0≦z≦0.5, 0≦w≦x, A comprises Li, Na, K, or Rb; and M comprises Ca, Ba, Mg, Zn, or Sn. The second phosphor includes a complex fluoride doped with manganese (Mn⁴⁺), and the third phosphor include a phosphor composition having an emission peak in a range from about 520 nanometers to about 680 nanometers. A lighting apparatus including such a phosphor material is also presented. The light apparatus includes a light source in addition to the phosphor material.

Claims

1. A phosphor material comprising a blend of:

a first phosphor comprising a composition having a general formula of ((Sr<sub>1−

z</sub>M_z)<sub>1−

(x+w)</sub>A_wCe_x)₃(Al<sub>1−

y</sub>Si_y)O<sub>4+y+3(x−

w)</sub>F<sub>1−

y−

3(x−

w)</sub>, wherein 0<

x≦

0.10, 0<

y≦

0.5, 0≦

z≦

0.5, 0.5≦

[1−

y−

3(x−

w)]<

1, A comprises Li, Na, K, or Rb; and

M comprises Ca, Ba, Mg, Zn, or Sn;

a second phosphor comprising a complex fluoride doped with manganese (Mn⁴⁺), and

a third phosphor comprising a garnet of general formula (A, Ce)₃M<sub>5−

a</sub>O<sub>12−

3/2a</sub>, wherein 0≦

a≦

0.5, A comprises Y, Gd, Tb, La, Sm, Pr, or Lu; and

M comprises Sc, Al, or Ga or a nitride of general formula (A, Eu)_xSi_yN_z, wherein 2x+3y=4z, and A comprises Ba, Ca, or Sr.

2. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of Al in the first phosphor is substituted by B, Ga, Sc, or Y.

3. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of F in the first phosphor is substituted by Cl, Br, or I.

4. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the first phosphor is doped with an additional activator ion.

5. The phosphor material of claim 4, wherein the additional activator ion comprises Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Tm, Er, Ho, Nd, Bi, Pb, Yb, Mn, Ag, or Cu.

6. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the first phosphor comprises a general formula of ((Sr₁₋

xM_z)<sub>1−

x</sub>Ce_x)₃(Al<sub>1−

y</sub>Si_y)O_4+y+3xF<sub>1−

y−

3x</sub>, wherein 0<

x≦

0.10, 0<

y≦

0.5, 0≦

z≦

0.5, and M comprises Ca, Ba, Mg, Zn, or Sn.

7. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the first phosphor comprises (Sr_0.98Na_0.01Ce_0.01)₃(Al_0.9Si_0.1)O_4.1F_0.9, (Sr_0.98Na_0.01Ce_0.01)₃(Al_0.8Si_0.2)O_4.2F_0.8, (Sr_0.75Ca_0.23Na_0.01Ce_0.01)₃(Al_0.75Si_0.25)O_4.25F_0.75, or (Sr_0.595Ca_0.4Ce_0.005)₃(Al_0.6Si_0.4)O_4.415F_0.585.

8. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the second phosphor comprises a general formula A₂[MF₆]:

Mn⁴⁺, wherein A comprises Na, K, Rb, Cs, or NH₄; and

M comprises Si, Ti, Zr, or Mn.

9. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the second phosphor comprises K₂[SiF₆]:

Mn⁴⁺, or K₂[TiF₆];

Mn⁴⁺.

10. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the third phosphor comprises Y₃A₁₅O₁₂:

Ce³⁺.

11. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the third phosphor comprises A₂Si₅N₈:

Eu²⁺, wherein A comprises Ba, Ca, or Sr.

12. The phosphor material of claim 11, wherein the nitride is further doped with cerium.

13. The phosphor material of claim 1, wherein the first phosphor is present in a spectral weight from about 1 percent to about 70 percent, the second phosphor is present in a spectral weight from about 1 percent to about 70 percent, and the third phosphor is present in a spectral weight from about 1 percent to about 70 percent.

14. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a light source and a phosphor material radiationally coupled to the light source, the phosphor material comprising a blend of;

a first phosphor comprising

composition having a general formula of ((Sr<sub>1−

z</sub>M_z)<sub>1−

(x+w)</sub>A_wCe_x)₃(Al<sub>1−

y</sub>Si_y)O<sub>4+y+3(x−

w)</sub>F<sub>1−

y−

3(x−

w)</sub>, wherein 0<

x≦

0.10, 0<

y≦

0.5, 0≦

z≦

0.5, 0.5≦

[1−

y−

3(x−

w)]≦

1, A is Li, Na, K, or Rb; and

M is Ca, Ba, Mg, Zn, or Sn;

a second phosphor comprising a complex fluoride doped with manganese (Mn⁴⁺), and

a third phosphor comprising a garnet of general formula (A, Ce)₃M<sub>5−

a</sub>O<sub>12−

3/2a</sub>, wherein 0≦

a≦

0.5, A comprises Y, Gd, Tb, La, Sm, Pr, or Lu; and

M comprises Sc, Al, or Ga or a nitride of general formula (A, Eu)_xSi_yN_z, wherein 2x+3y=4z, and A comprises Ba, Ca, or Sr.

15. The lighting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting device (LED).

16. The lighting apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an encapsulant surrounding the light source.

17. The lighting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the phosphor material is coated on a surface of the light source.

18. The lighting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the phosphor material is dispersed in the encapsulant.

19. The lighting apparatus of claim 14, has a CRI (Rg) greater than 80.