Lighting structures including diffuser particles comprising phosphor host materials

1. A lighting structure comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting device configured to generate light responsive to an electrical signal applied thereto; and

an encapsulating material configured to transmit light generated by the semiconductor light emitting device wherein the encapsulating material includes luminescent phosphor particles and non-luminescent diffuser particles therein, wherein the phosphor particles comprise a phosphor host material doped with a luminescent activator, wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise the phosphor host material, wherein a first concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a first portion of the encapsulating material adjacent the semiconductor light emitting device is different than a second concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a second portion of the encapsulating material more distant from the semiconductor light emitting device, and wherein the first and second concentrations are greater than zero;

wherein the first portion of the encapsulating material includes a first layer of encapsulating material including the luminescent phosphor particles, and wherein the second portion of the encapsulating material includes a second layer of encapsulating material including the non-luminescent diffuser particles, wherein the second layer of encapsulating material is substantially free of the luminescent phosphor particles.

2. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the phosphor particles comprise cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG:Ce, phosphor particles.

3. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise non-luminescent yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles.

4. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the phosphor host material comprises at least one of (Ba,Sr,Ca) 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (Cl,F,Br,OH); (Ba,Sr,Ca)BPO 5 ; (Sr,Ca) 10 (PO 4 ) 6 *υB 2 O 3 wherein 0≦υ≦1; Sr 2 Si 3 O 8 *2SrCl 2 ; (Ca,Sr,Ba) 3 MgSi 2 O 8 ; BaAl 8 O 13 ; 2SrO*0.84P 2 O 5 *0.16B 2 O 3 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgAl 10 O 17 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)Al 2 O 4 ; (Y,Gd,Lu,Sc,La)BO 3 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 Si 1−ξ O 4−2ξ wherein 0≦ξ≦0.2; (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 (Mg,Zn)Si 2 O 7 ; (Sr,Ca,Ba)(Al,Ga,In) 2 S 4 ; (Y,Gd,Tb,La,Sm,Pr,Lu) 3 (Al,Ga) 5−λ O 12−3/2λ wherein 0≦λ≦0.5; (Lu,Y,Sc) 2−ρ (Ca,Mg) 1+ρ Li σ Mg 2−σ (Si—,Ge) 3−σ P σ O 12−ρ (wherein 0≦ρ≦0.5, 0≦σ≦0.5); (Ca,Sr) 8 (Mg,Zn)(SiO 4 ) 4 Cl 2 ; Na 2 Gd 2 B 2 O 7 ; (Sr,Ca,Ba,Mg,Zn) 2 P 2 O 7 ; (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 3 ; (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 2 S; (Gd,Y,Lu,La)VO 4 ; (Ca,Sr)S; SrY 2 S 4 ; CaLa 2 S 4 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgP 2 O 7 ; (Y,Lu) 2 WO 6 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca) β Si γ N μ wherein 2β+4γ=3μ; Ca 3 (SiO 4 )Cl 2 ; (Y,Lu,Gd) 2−φ Ca φ Si 4 N 6+φ C 1−φ (wherein 0≦φ≦0.5); (Lu,Ca,Li,Mg,Y)α-SiAlON; and/or 3.5MgO*0.5MgF 2 *GeO 2 .

5. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the first concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles adjacent the semiconductor light emitting device is greater than the second concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles more distant from the semiconductor light emitting device.

6. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise substantially spherical non-luminescent diffuser particles.

7. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein each of the non-luminescent diffuser particles has a width less than about 50 μm.

8. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles have a refractive index of at least about 1.8.

9. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein each of the first and second portions of the encapsulating material comprises at least one of an epoxy, a resin, a silicone, and/or a plastic.

10. A lighting structure according to claim 9 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise separate spaced-apart diffuser particles distributed in the encapsulating material, wherein the luminescent phosphor particles comprise separate spaced-apart luminescent phosphor particles distributed in the encapsulating material, and wherein individual ones of the non-luminescent diffuser particles are separate and spaced-apart from individual ones of the luminescent phosphor particles in the encapsulating material.

11. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the phosphor host material comprises at least one of (Ba,Sr,Ca) 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (Cl,F,Br,OH), (Ba,Sr,Ca)BPO 5 , (Sr,Ca) 10 (PO 4 ) 6 *υB 2 O 3 (wherein 0<υ<1), Sr 2 Si 3 O 8 *2SrCl 2 , (Ca,Sr,Ba) 3 MgSi 2 O 8 , BaAl 8 O 13 , 2SrO*0.84P 2 O 5 *0.16B 2 O 3 , (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgAl 10 O 17 , (Ba,Sr,Ca)Al 2 O 4 , (Y,Gd,Lu,Sc,La)BO 3 , (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 Si 1−ξ O 4−2ξ wherein 0≦ξ≦0.2, (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 (Mg,Zn)Si 2 O 7 , (Sr,Ca,Ba)(Al,Ga,In) 2 S 4 , (Y,Gd,Tb,La,Sm,Pr,Lu) 3 (Al,Ga) 5−λ O 12−3/2λ (wherein 0≦λ≦0.5), (Lu,Y,Sc) 2−ρ (Ca,Mg) 1+ρ Li σ Mg 2−σ (Si—,Ge) 3−σ P σ O 12−ρ wherein 0≦ρ≦0.5, 0≦σ≦0.5, (Ca,Sr) 8 (Mg,Zn)(SiO 4 ) 4 Cl 2 , Na 2 Gd 2 B 2 O 7 , (Sr,Ca,Ba,Mg,Zn) 2 P 2 O 7 , (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 3 , (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 2 S, (Gd,Y,Lu,La)VO 4 , (Ca,Sr)S, SrY 2 S 4 , CaLa 2 S 4 , (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgP 2 O 7 , (Y,Lu) 2 WO 6 , (Ba,Sr,Ca) β Si γ N μ wherein 2β+4γ=3μ, Ca 3 (SiO 4 )Cl 2 , (Y,Lu,Gd) 2−φ Ca φ Si 4 N 6+φ C 1−φ wherein 0≦φ≦0.5, (Lu,Ca,Li,Mg,Y)α-SiAlON, 3.5MgO*0.5MgF 2 *GeO 2 , (Ca,Sr)AlSiN 3 , SiAlO x N y , and/or (Ba,Sr)SiO 4 .

12. A lighting structure according to claim 1 wherein the encapsulating material of the first and second portions has a refractive index of no more than about 1.6.

13. A lighting structure according to claim 11 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles are distributed throughout the first and second portions of the encapsulating material.

14. A lighting structure according to claim 1 , wherein sidewalls of the first layer and of the semiconductor light emitting device are aligned and wherein the second layer adjoins the sidewalls of the first layer and the semiconductor light emitting device.

15. A lighting structure comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting device configured to generate light responsive to an electrical signal applied thereto; and

an encapsulating material configured to transmit light generated by the semiconductor light emitting device wherein the encapsulating material includes phosphor particles and yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles therein, wherein the phosphor particles and the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles have different compositions, wherein a first concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a first portion of the encapsulating material adjacent the semiconductor light emitting device is different than a second concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a second portion of the encapsulating material more distant from the semiconductor light emitting device, and wherein the first and second concentrations are greater than zero;

wherein the first portion of the encapsulating material includes a first layer of encapsulating material including the phosphor particles, and wherein the second portion of the encapsulating material includes a second layer of encapsulating material including the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles, wherein the second layer of encapsulating material is substantially free of the phosphor particles.

16. A lighting structure according to claim 15 wherein the phosphor particles comprise luminescent doped yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, phosphor particles.

17. A lighting structure according to claim 15 wherein the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles comprise substantially non-luminescent yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles.

18. A lighting structure according to claim 15 wherein the first concentration of the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles adjacent the semiconductor light emitting device is greater than the second concentration of the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles more distant from the semiconductor light emitting device.

19. A lighting structure according to claim 15 wherein each of the first and second portions of the encapsulating material comprises at least one of an epoxy, a resin, a silicone, and/or a plastic.

20. A lighting structure according to claim 19 wherein the YAG diffuser particles comprise separate spaced-apart YAG diffuser particles distributed in the encapsulating material, wherein the phosphor particles comprise separate spaced-apart phosphor particles distributed in the encapsulating material, and wherein individual ones of the YAG diffuser particles are separate and spaced-apart from individual ones of the phosphor particles in the encapsulating material.

21. A lighting structure according to claim 15 wherein the encapsulating material of the first and second portions has a refractive index of no more than about 1.6.

22. A lighting structure according to claim 21 wherein the yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles are distributed throughout the first and second portions of the encapsulating material.

23. A lighting structure comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting device configured to generate light responsive to an electrical signal applied thereto; and

an encapsulating material configured to transmit light generated by the semiconductor light emitting device wherein the encapsulating material includes luminescent phosphor particles and non-luminescent diffuser particles therein, wherein the luminescent phosphor particles comprise at least first and second phosphor host materials that are different from each other, and wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise at least one of the first and/or second phosphor host materials,

wherein a first concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a first portion of the encapsulating material adjacent the semiconductor light emitting device is different than a second concentration of the non-luminescent diffuser particles in a second portion of the encapsulating material more distant from the semiconductor light emitting device, and wherein the first and second concentrations are greater than zero;

wherein the first portion of the encapsulating material includes a first layer of encapsulating material including the luminescent phosphor particles, and wherein the second portion of the encapsulating material includes a second layer of encapsulating material including the non-luminescent diffuser particles, wherein the second layer of encapsulating material is substantially free of the luminescent phosphor particles.

24. A lighting structure according to claim 23 wherein each of the first and second phosphor host materials comprises at least one of (Ba,Sr,Ca) 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (Cl,F,Br,OH); (Ba,Sr,Ca)BPO 5 ; (Sr,Ca) 10 (PO 4 ) 6 *υB 2 O 3 wherein 0<υ≦1; Sr 2 Si 3 O 8 *2SrCl 2 ; (Ca,Sr,Ba) 3 MgSi 2 O 8 ; BaAl 8 O 13 ; 2SrO*0.84P 2 O 5 *0.16B 2 O 3 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgAl 10 O 17 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)Al 2 O 4 ; (Y,Gd,Lu,Sc,La)BO 3 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 Si 1−ξ O 4−2ξ wherein 0≦ξ≦0.2; (Ba,Sr,Ca) 2 (Mg,Zn)Si 2 O 7 ; (Sr,Ca,Ba)(Al,Ga,In) 2 S 4 ; (Y,Gd,Tb,La,Sm,Pr,Lu) 3 (Al,Ga) 5−λ O 12−3/2λ wherein 0≦λ≦0.5; (Lu,Y,Sc) 2−ρ (Ca,Mg) 1+ρ Li σ Mg 2−σ (Si—,Ge) 3−σ P σ O 12−ρ (wherein 0≦ρ≦0.5, 0≦σ≦0.5); (Ca,Sr) 8 (Mg,Zn)(SiO 4 ) 4 Cl 2 ; Na 2 Gd 2 B 2 O 7 ; (Sr,Ca,Ba,Mg,Zn) 2 P 2 O 7 ; (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 3 ; (Gd,Y,Lu,La) 2 O 2 S; (Gd,Y,Lu,La)VO 4 ; (Ca,Sr)S; SrY 2 S 4 ; CaLa 2 S 4 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca)MgP 2 O 7 ; (Y,Lu) 2 WO 6 ; (Ba,Sr,Ca) β Si γ N μ wherein 2β+4γ=3μ; Ca 3 (SiO 4 )Cl 2 ; (Y,Lu,Gd) 2−φ Ca φ Si 4 N 6+φ C 1−φ (wherein 0≦φ≦0.5; (Lu,Ca,Li,Mg,Y)α-SiAlON; and/or 3.5MgO*0.5MgF 2 *GeO 2 .

25. A lighting structure according to claim 23 wherein the non-luminescent diffuser particles comprise non-luminescent yttrium aluminum garnet, YAG, diffuser particles.

26. A lighting structure according to claim 23 wherein the encapsulating material comprises at least one of an epoxy, a resin, a silicone, and/or a plastic.