Glass matrix doped with activated luminescent nanocrystalline particles
OwnerAlan L. Huston, Brian L. Justusinventors
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Abstract
A luminescent glass includes nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, such as ZnS nanocrystals, and an activator, such as copper, for the particles. The glass is made by depositing the nanocrystalline semiconductor particles and the activator within a porous glass matrix, such as 7930 Vycor.TM. and then thermally activating the glass. The porous glass matrix may be at least partially consolidated or may be allowed to remain porous. The nanometer particle size permits the luminescent glasses of the present invention to be transparent to its luminescent emissions.
Claims21
A luminescent glass comprising:
- a glass matrix doped with nanocrystalline semiconductor particles;
- an activator, within said glass matrix, for said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, said activator being present in a concentration effective to luminescently activate said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, said glass being transparent to its luminescent emissions.
A method of producing a luminescent glass that is transparent to its luminescent emissions, comprising the steps of:
- doping a porous glass matrix with nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, such that said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles in said glass have a size distribution that does not significantly reduce the transparency of the luminescent glass to its luminescent emissions;
- adding to said porous glass matrix an amount of a activator effective to luminescently activate said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, such that the said activator within said glass does not significantly reduce the transparency of the luminescent glass to it luminescent emissions;
- activating said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles within said glass by heating said porous glass matrix having said activator and said nanocrystalline particles therein to a temperature of from about 800.degree. C. to below a temperature at which said porous glass matrix melts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.