Sialon phosphor, method for producing same, and light-emitting device package using same

• US 9,391,245 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Won, Hyong Sik, Yoon, Chul Soo, Park, Youn Gon, Yoon, Chang Bun
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, Carol M
• Application Number:
  US13/825,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20140008680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/02 Compacting only
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/0883 Arsenides; Nitrides; Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7728 containing europium
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/77348 Silicon Aluminium Nitrides or Silicon Aluminium Oxynitrides
• 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 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 2924/00014 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 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/14 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material , or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a sialon phosphor comprises: mixing a silicon precursor and an aluminum precursor and sintering the mixture to form a first sintered body; and mixing the first sintered body and a precursor for an active material and heat-treating the mixture to form a second sintered body. That is, the method for producing a sialon phosphor according to one embodiment of the present invention involves firstly forming the first sintered body serving as a host material to stably ensure a crystal structure, and then mixing the active material and the first sintered body so as to preserve the role of the active material without sacrificing the crystal structure of the first sintered body. Eventually, the active material in the crystal structure of the first sintered body is located in an interstitial site not located in the Si or Al position, thereby preventing the degradation of the crystallinity of the first sintered body. In addition, the crystal structure of the sialon phosphor produced by the above-described method is stable, and the sialon phosphor exhibits superior thermal stability at a high temperature, and therefore the degradation in the efficiency thereof caused by a shortened lifespan thereof is extremely slight even over long-term operation. In addition, the crystal structure of the sialon phosphor in the light-emitting device package comprising the sialon phosphor produced by the above-described method is stable, and therefore the degradation in luminance caused by a degradation of crystallinity may be prevented.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a sialon phosphor, the method comprising steps of:

forming a first sintered body by mixing and sintering a silicon precursor and an aluminum precursor; and

forming a second sintered body by mixing and heat-treating the first sintered body and an active material precursor, the active material precursor including a rare earth element,

wherein the sialon phosphor is represented by Formula 1;

Si_(6-x)Al_xO_yN_(8-y);

Re_z, 

 

[Formula 1]

where 0.1<

x<

2, 0.1<

y<

2, 0.001<

z<

0.1, and Re is a rare-earth element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor comprises metallic silicon or a silicon compound.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the silicon compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and silicon oxide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum precursor comprises metallic aluminum or an aluminum compound.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the aluminum compound is selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and aluminum hydroxide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rare-earth element is selected from the group consisting of Eu and Ce.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sintering is performed at a temperature between 1,500°

C. to 2,200°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat-treating is performed at a temperature between 1,000°

C. to 2,100°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sintering and the heat-treating are performed in a nitrogen containing atmosphere.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a pressure of nitrogen gas in the nitrogen containing atmosphere is 0.1 to 10 MPa.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing of the first sintered body and the active material precursor comprises mixing with a compound containing an alkaline earth metal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the alkaline earth metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein mixing of the first sintered body and the active material precursor comprises mixing with a manganese (Mn) containing compound.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sialon phosphor emits light with a wavelength of 500 to 555 nm.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding the first sintered body after the forming of the first sintered body.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding the second sintered body after the forming of the second sintered body.

17. A sialon phosphor comprising:

a first sintered body obtained by sintering a silicon precursor and an aluminum precursor and forming a host matrix material, and an active material disposed in interstitial sites of the host matrix material, the active material including a rare earth element, the sialon phosphor being represented by Formula 1;

Si_(6-x)Al_xO_yN_(8-y);

Re_z, 

 

[Formula 1]

where 0.1<

x<

2, 0.1<

y<

2, 0.001<

z<

0.1, and Re is a rare-earth element,

wherein the sialon phosphor further comprises an alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba) or a manganese (Mn) containing compound.

18. The sialon phosphor of claim 17, wherein the sialon phosphor emits light with a wavelength of 500 to 555 nm by blue or ultraviolet light as an excitation source.

19. A light emitting device package comprising:

a light emitting device to emit excited light; and

a wavelength conversion unit to absorb the excited light and convert a wavelength of the excited light,

wherein the wavelength conversion unit comprises;

a sialon phosphor comprising a first sintered body obtained by sintering a silicon precursor and an aluminum precursor and forming a host matrix material, and an active material disposed in interstitial sites of the host matrix material, the active material including a rare earth element, the sialon phosphor being represented by Formula 1;

Si_(6-x)Al_xO_yN_(8-y);

Re_z, 

 

[Formula 1]

where 0.1<

x<

2, 0.1<

y<

2, 0.001<

z<

0.1, and Re is a rare-earth element,

wherein the sialon phosphor further comprises an alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba) or a manganese (Mn) containing compound.

20. The light emitting device package of claim 19, wherein the sialon phosphor emits light with a wavelength of 500 to 555 nm by blue or ultraviolet light as an excitation source.

21. The light emitting device package of claim 19, further comprising a red phosphor,

wherein output light from the light emitting device package is white light.