Phosphor materials for light sources and method for manufacturing the same

A method comprising:

• mixing a fluoride phosphor powder that is doped with a dopant with a treatment solution formed from a manganese-free fluoride phosphor powder mixed with a hydrofluoric acid to form a mixture, wherein the dopant includes tetravalent manganese, wherein the fluoride phosphor powder is a complex fluoride phosphor activated with tetravalent manganese, and wherein the mixing includes placing the fluoride powder in the treatment solution in a volume of the solution-to-weight of the powder ratio of no more than five;
• agitating the mixture of the fluoride phosphor powder and the treatment solution for at least first designated period of time;
• stopping agitation of the mixture for at least a second designated period of time to allow liquid in the mixture to separate from the mixture;
• removing at least some of the liquid from the mixture;
• adding a second treatment solution, wherein the second treatment solution is a same type as the treatment solution;
• repeating mixing the fluoride phosphor powder with the remaining treatment solution and the second treatment solution, agitating the mixture, stopping the agitation of the mixture, and removing the at least some of the liquid from the mixture one or more additional times;
• and
• obtaining a remaining amount of the fluoride phosphor powder which has been treated by one or more additional cycles from the mixture, wherein the obtained fluoride phosphor powder has a reduced amount of the dopant relative to that in the fluoride phosphor powder before treatment.

A method comprising:

• mixing a fluoride phosphor powder that is doped with tetravalent manganese with a hydrofluoric acid solution, the hydrofluoric acid solution formed from a manganese-free fluoride phosphor powder mixed with a hydrofluoric acid to form a mixture, wherein the fluoride phosphor powder is a complex fluoride phosphor activated with tetravalent manganese and wherein the mixing includes placing the fluoride phosphor powder in the hydrofluoric acid solution in a volume of the solution-to-weight of the powder ratio of no more than five;
• agitating the mixture of the fluoride phosphor powder and the hydrofluoric acid solution for at least first designated period of time;
• stopping agitation of the mixture for at least a second designated period of time to allow liquid in the mixture to separate from the mixture;
• removing at least some of the liquid from the mixture;
• adding a second hydrofluoric acid solution;
• repeating mixing the fluoride phosphor powder with the remaining hydrofluoric acid solution and the second hydrofluoric acid solution, agitating the mixture, stopping the agitation of the mixture, and removing the at least some of the liquid from the mixture one or more additional times;
• and
• obtaining an amount of the fluoride phosphor powder which has been treated by the one or more additional cycles from the mixture, wherein the obtained fluoride phosphor powder has a reduced amount of manganese relative to that in the fluoride phosphor powder before treatment.