# US 10,767,111 B2 · Phosphor composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,111 B2 - Document ID: US10767111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/296,818 - Filed: 2019-03-08 - Published: 2019-07-04 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-11-17 - Assignees: Cree, Inc. - Applicants: Cree, Inc. - Inventors: Brian T. Collins; Christopher P. Hussell; David T. Emerson; Ronan P. Le Toquin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767111B2 ## CPC - C09K 11/77348: {Silicon Aluminium Nitrides or Silicon Aluminium Oxynitrides} - C04B 35/58: based on borides, nitrides, {i.e. nitrides, oxynitrides, carbonitrides or oxycarbonitrides} or silicides {(containing free binder metal C22C29/00)} - C04B 35/581: based on aluminium nitride - C04B 35/584: based on silicon nitride - C04B 35/597: based on silicon oxynitride, {e.g. SIALONS} - C09K 11/025: {non-luminescent particle coatings or suspension media} - C09K 11/0883: {Arsenides; Nitrides; Phosphides} - C04B 35/591: obtained by reaction sintering - C04B 35/593: obtained by pressure sintering - C04B 35/5935: {obtained by gas pressure sintering} - C04B 2235/3224: Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide - C04B 2235/3852: Nitrides, e.g. oxynitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbonitrides, lithium nitride, magnesium nitride - C04B 2235/3865: Aluminium nitrides - C04B 2235/3869: Aluminium oxynitrides, e.g. AlON, sialon - C04B 2235/3873: Silicon nitrides, e.g. silicon carbonitride, silicon oxynitride - C04B 2235/445: Fluoride containing anions, e.g. fluosilicate - C09K 11/7728: {containing europium} - Y02B 20/00: Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A method is disclosed for forming a blended phosphor composition. The method includes the steps of firing precursor compositions that include europium and nitrides of at least calcium, strontium and aluminum, in a refractory metal crucible and in the presence of a gas that precludes the formation of nitride compositions between the nitride starting materials and the refractory metal that forms the crucible. The resulting compositions can include phosphors that convert frequencies in the blue portion of the visible spectrum into frequencies in the red portion of the visible spectrum. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a phosphor composition that down-converts photons in the blue and ultraviolet portions of the visible spectrum into photons in the longer wavelength portions of the visible spectrum, the method comprising: forming a mixture comprising: a cation from the group consisting of calcium, strontium, lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, magnesium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gadolinium, and lutetium; with a cation from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, boron, gallium, carbon, germanium, and phosphorus; with an anion selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, sulfur, chlorine, bromine, and iodine; and with an activator selected from the group of europium (II), cerium (Ill), ytterbium (II), samarium (II) and manganese (II); heating the mixture in the presence of a forming gas at or near atmospheric pressure; and forming from the mixture a first phase comprising a nitride phosphor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride phosphor comprises a nominal composition of Ca1-x-ySrxEUyAISiN3 where 0