Oxygen-containing phosphor powders, methods for making phosphor powders and devices incorporating same
AssigneeSuperior MicroPowders LLC
InventorsMark J. Hampden-Smith, Toivo T. Kodas, James Caruso, Daniel J. Skamser, Quint H. Powell
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Abstract
Phosphor powders and a method for making phosphor powders. The powders are oxygen-containing, such as metal oxides, silicates, borates or titanates and have a small particle size, narrow particle size distribution and are substantially spherical. The method of the invention advantageously permits the continuous production of such powders. The invention also relates to improved devices, such as display devices, incorporating the phosphor powders.
Claims20
A method for the production of oxygen-containing phosphor particles, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating an aerosol of droplets from a liquid wherein said liquid comprises a oxygen-containing phosphor precursor and wherein said droplets have a size distribution such that at least about 80 weight percent of said droplets have a size of from about 1 μm to about 5 μm;
- b) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- c) heating said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and form oxygen-containing phosphor particles;
- and
- d) annealing said oxygen-containing phosphor particles to increase the crystallinity of said phosphor particles.
A method for the production of an oxygen-containing phosphor powder, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming an aqueous-based solution comprising soluble precursors of an oxygen-containing phosphor;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said aqueous-based solution;
- c) heating said droplets to form an intermediate compound that is capable of being post-treated to form said oxygen-containing phosphor compound;
- d) treating said intermediate compound to form said oxygen-containing phosphor powder;
- and
- e) annealing said oxygen-containing phosphor powder in contact with an oxygen-containing gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.