Method of manufacturing phosphor translucent ceramics and light emitting devices

1. A method of increasing the luminescence efficiency of a translucent phosphor ceramic, comprising:

heating the translucent phosphor ceramic under a reducing atmosphere for a period of from about 3 to about 7 hours at a temperature of from about 1200° C. to about 1600° C., thereby increasing the luminescence efficiency; and

wherein the temperature is lower than the melting point of the translucent phosphor ceramic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing atmosphere comprises hydrogen gas.

3. A method of increasing the luminescence efficiency of a translucent phosphor ceramic, comprising:

heating the translucent phosphor ceramic under a reducing atmosphere at a temperature of at least about 1200° C. thereby increasing the luminescence efficiency; and

wherein the reducing atmosphere comprises a mixture of from about 1% (v/v) to about 10% (v/v) hydrogen gas and about 90% (v/v) to about 99% (v/v) nitrogen gas.

4. A method of increasing the luminescence efficiency of a translucent phosphor ceramic, comprising:

heating the translucent phosphor ceramic under a reducing atmosphere at a temperature of at least about 1200° C. thereby increasing the luminescence efficiency; and

wherein the translucent phosphor ceramic is prepared by a process comprising heating at least part of a plurality of particles at a temperature of from about 1450° C. to about 2000° C. under a vacuum.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least part of a plurality of particles is heated at a temperature of from about 1450° C. to about 2000° C. under a vacuum for about 3 to about 8 hours.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of particles comprises [YAG:Ce] powder.

7. A method of increasing the luminescence efficiency of a translucent phosphor ceramic, comprising:

heating the translucent phosphor ceramic at a temperature of at least about 1200° C. under a reducing atmosphere thereby increasing the luminescence efficiency; and

wherein said translucent phosphor ceramic comprises a rare earth doped phosphor material having garnet structure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said rare earth doped phosphor material comprises a composition of (A 1-x E x ) 3 B 5 O 12 , wherein:

A is Y, Gd, La, Lu, Tb, or a combination thereof;

x is from about 0.00005 to about 0.1;

B is Al, Ga, In, or a combination thereof; and

E is Ce, Eu, Tb, Nd, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein x is from about 0.0001 to about 0.01.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein x is from about 0.001 to about 0.005.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein A is Y.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein E is Ce.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein B is Al.

14. A method of manufacturing a phosphor translucent ceramic having increased luminescence comprising:

providing a precursor composition; and

heating the precursor composition under both a reducing atmosphere and under vacuum.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the precursor composition comprises a rare earth doped phosphor material having garnet structure.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the precursor composition comprises [YAG:Ce] powder.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing a precursor composition comprises:

providing a mixture comprising a plurality of phosphor particles or ceramic raw materials, binder, and flux material; and

heating the mixture at a temperature of at least about 500° C. in an atmosphere comprising oxygen gas.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mixture further comprises a solvent.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the mixture is heated at a temperature of from about 500° C. to about 1100° C.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the atmosphere comprising oxygen gas is air.