Development of Advanced LED Phosphors by Spray-Based Processes for Solid-State Lighting Applications
Investigating Organization
Cabot Superior MicroPowders
Principal Investigator(s)
Mr. Klaus Kunze
Subcontractor
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)
Funding Source
Building Technologies Program/NETL
Award
DOE Share: $1,287,383; Contractor Share: $779,315
Contract Period
10/01/04 - 04/01/07
The goal of the project is to develop luminescent materials using aerosol processes for making improved LED devices for solid state lighting applications. This will be accomplished by selecting suitable phosphor materials that are generated by liquid or gas to particle conversion in micron to submicron ranges (0.1 - 1 micron) with defined spherical morphology and various particle size distributions, coated or uncoated, and applying them by appropriate mixing with or without extra layer components such as glass particles into thin phosphor layers to create more optically efficient LED devices. The specific technical objectives of the proposed work are as follows:
- Demonstrate the feasibility of spherical micron and submicron sized phosphor materials with homogeneous dopant distribution and various particle sizes and particle size distribution obtained by spray pyrolysis to create LED phosphors with improved luminescence efficiency.
- Develop phosphor particles in the range around 100nm to demonstrate the feasibility of more efficient luminescent centers with strongly reduced optical scattering.
- Incorporate these phosphor powders into organic or inorganic layer structures to understand and evaluate the effect of morphology and spread of the size distribution on phosphor layer efficiency.
- Produce multiple phosphor compositions for blended layers to investigate the effect of matched morphology, particle size and spread of particle size distribution on phosphor layer efficiency.
- Incorporate low melting glass particles to test for improved layer optical characteristics and thermal stability.
- Develop coated phosphors for incorporation into more temperature robust and less humidity sensitive layers.