Method for preparing efficient low voltage phosphors and products produced thereby
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsDavid S. Y. Hsu, Yongchi Tian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Doped phosphors (e.g., metal orthosilicates) are made by adding solid particulate precursor to a solution of an alkoxide precursor and a dopant precursor before hydrolysis is allowed to occur. The mixture is then allowed to hydrolyze, resulting in a sol-gel condensation reaction. The solid particulate precursor can be fumed silica, and acts as a nucleation site for the sol-gel reaction product. After the sol-gel reaction, the mixture is dried and fired to form phosphors. The phosphors are especially suitable for applications in which there is low voltage operation.
Claims10
A method for preparing phosphors comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a solution comprising an alkoxide precursor and a dopant precursor;
- (b) mixing said solution with a solid particle precursor, wherein said solid particle precursor have an average particle size of from about 2 to about 10,000 nm;
- (c) inducing a sol-gel condensation reaction to form a sol-gel condensation reaction mixture;
- (d) drying the sol-gel condensation reaction mixture;
- and
- (c) firing the dried reaction mixture at a temperature sufficient to form phosphors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.