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US 10,437,042 B2Granted
Enhancement of output of optically pumped phosphor by use of surface nanostructures
AssigneeMaterion Corporation
InventorsRobert Sprague, Michael P. Newell
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Abstract
Phosphor elements comprising phosphors in a host material having a phosphorescence-emitting surface with surface nanostructures are disclosed. Phosphor wheels having such phosphor elements, methods of making such phosphor elements, and methods of using such phosphor elements are also disclosed.
Claims19
A phosphor element comprising:
- a host material defining the shape of the phosphor element;
- and
- one or more phosphors dispersed in the host material that emit phosphorescence in response to an optical pump beam;
- wherein the phosphor element has a phosphorescence-emitting surface with surface nanostructures comprising the host material;
- and
- wherein the surface nanostructures have a lateral dimension along the phosphorescence-emitting surface of between 50 nanometers and 2 microns inclusive wherein the lateral dimension is a statistical average spacing between adjacent surface nanostructures.
3 more elements
A phosphor wheel device comprising:
- a metal wheel having a central axis via which the metal wheel is rotatable;
- and
- one or more phosphor elements disposed along a rim of the metal wheel and secured to the metal wheel;
- wherein each phosphor element is an arc segment phosphor element or the one or more of phosphor elements consist of a single annular phosphor element;
- and
- wherein the one or more phosphor elements comprise:
- a host material defining the shape of the phosphor element;
- and
- one or more phosphors dispersed in the host material that emit phosphorescence in response to an optical pump beam;
- wherein the phosphor element has a phosphorescence-emitting surface with surface nanostructures comprising the host material, the surface nanostructures comprising the host material being of non-uniform height and having a statistical average height of at least 100 nanometers.
7 more elements
A method of manufacturing a phosphor element comprising:
- injection molding the phosphor element by injecting a host material with one or more dispersed phosphors into a mold, wherein the mold defines the shape of the injection molded phosphor element;
- wherein the mold includes nano-features that define surface nanostructures on a phosphorescence-emitting surface of the injection-molded phosphor element, the nano-features having a lateral dimension along the phosphorescence-emitting surface of between 50 nanometers and 2 microns inclusive wherein the lateral dimension is a statistical average spacing between adjacent surface nanostructures.
A light emission method comprising:
- applying a pump optical beam to a phosphor element whereby one or more phosphors dispersed in a host material of the phosphor element emit phosphorescence in response to an optical pump beam;
- and
- transmitting the phosphorescence through a phosphorescence-emitting surface of the phosphor element;
- and
- enhancing the transmitting using surface nanostructures comprising the host material which are disposed on the phosphorescence-emitting surface and which have a lateral dimension along the phosphorescence-emitting surface of between 50 nanometers and 2 microns inclusive wherein the lateral dimension is a statistical average spacing between adjacent surface nanostructures.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.