Photoluminescent phosphor powders, methods for making phosphor powders and devices incorporating same
AssigneeCabot Corporation
InventorsMark J. Hampden-Smith, Toivo T. Kodas, James Caruso, Daniel J. Skamser, Quint H. Powell, Klaus Kunze
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Abstract
Photoluminescent phosphor powders and a method for making phosphor powders. The phosphor powders have a small particle size, narrow particle size distribution and are substantially spherical. The method of the invention advantageously permits the economic production of such powders. The invention also relates to improved devices, such as display devices and lighting elements, incorporating the phosphor powders.
Claims55
A method for the production of a photoluminescent phosphor powder batch, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid comprising precursors to a photoluminescent phosphor compound;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid;
- c) pyrolyzing said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and at least partially react said precursors to form intermediate precursor particles;
- and
- d) heating said intermediate precursor particles to form a powder batch of phosphor particles.
A method for the production of a Y2O3 phosphor powder batch, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising precursors to a Y2O3 phosphor compound;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution;
- c) pyrolyzing said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and at least partially react said precursors to form intermediate precursor particles;
- and
- (d) heating said intermediate precursor particles to form a powder batch of phosphor particles.
A method for the production of a photoluminescent phosphor powder batch, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid comprising precursors to a photoluminescent phosphor compound;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid;
- c) pyrolyzing said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and at least partially react said precursors to form intermediate precursor particles having an average size of not greater than about 10 μm;
- and
- d) heating said intermediate precursor particles to form a powder batch of phosphor particles.
A method for the production of a Y2O3 phosphor powder batch, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising precursors to a Y2O3 phosphor compound;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution by ultrasonically atomizing said liquid;
- c) pyrolyzing said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and at least partially react said precursors to form intermediate precursor particles;
- and
- d) heating said intermediate precursor particles to form a powder batch of phosphor particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.