Carbonitride and carbidonitride phosphors and lighting devices using the same

1. A phosphor expressed by the formula

M(II) m/2 Si 12-(m+n)−x C x M(III) m+n N 16-n O n-y/2 H y :A,

wherein:

0≦m<5, 0≦n≦3, 0≦x<4, 0≦y<1;

M(II) is at least one divalent cation;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation;

H is at least one monovalent anion; and

A is a luminescence activator.

2. The phosphor of claim 1 , wherein:

M(II) is at least one divalent cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, and Cd;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, and Gd;

H is at least one monovalent anion selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and

A comprises at least one metal ion selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mn, Bi, and Sb.

3. The phosphor of claim 1 , wherein A is doped in the host crystal of the phosphor at a concentration level of about 0.01 mol % to about 20 mol % relative to M(II).

4. The phosphor of claim 1 , expressed by the formula

Ca m/2 Si 12-(m+n)−x C x Al m+n N 16-n O n :Eu 2+ .

5. A phosphor expressed by the formula M m/v Si 12-(m+n)−x C x M(III) m+n N 16-n O n-y/2 H y :A, wherein:

v is the valence number of M, 0≦m<5, 0≦n≦3, 0≦x<4, 0≦y<1;

M is at least one cation;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation;

H is at least one monovalent anion; and

A is a luminescence activator.

6. The phosphor of claim 5 , wherein:

M is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, Cd, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cu, Ag, Au, B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, and Lu;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, and Gd;

H is at least one monovalent anion selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and

A comprises at least one metal ion selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mn, Bi, and Sb.

7. The phosphor of claim 5 , wherein A is doped in the host crystal of the phosphor at a concentration level of about 0.01 mol % to about 20 mol % relative to M(II).

8. A phosphor expressed by the formula

M(II) m/2 Si 12-(m+n)+x M(III) m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n-y/2 H y :A,

wherein:

0≦m<5, 0≦n≦3, 0≦x<4, 0≦y<1;

M(II) is at least one divalent cation;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation; and

H is at least one monovalent anion

A is a luminescence activator.

9. The phosphor of claim 8 , wherein:

M(II) is at least one divalent cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, and Cd;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, and Gd;

H is at least one monovalent anion selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and

A comprises at least one metal ion selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mn, Bi, and Sb.

10. The phosphor of claim 8 , wherein A is doped in the host crystal of the phosphor at a concentration level of about 0.01 mol % to about 20 mol % relative to M(II).

11. The phosphor of claim 8 , expressed by the formula

Ca m/2 Si 12-(m+n)+x Al m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n :Eu 2+ .

12. A phosphor expressed by the formula

M m/v Si 12-(m+n)+x M(III) m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n-y/2 H y :A,

wherein:

v is the valence number of M, 0≦m<5, 0≦n≦3, 0≦x<4, 0≦y<1;

M is at least one cation;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation;

H is at least one monovalent anion; and

A is a luminescence activator.

13. The phosphor of claim 12 , wherein:

M is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, Cd, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cu, Ag, Au, B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, and Lu;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, and Gd;

H is at least one monovalent anion selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and

A comprises at least one metal ion selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mn, Bi, and Sb.

14. The phosphor of claim 12 , wherein A is doped in the host crystal of the phosphor at a concentration level of about 0.01 mol % to about 20 mol % relative to M(II).

15. A light emitting device comprising:

a light source which emits light having a first luminescence spectrum; and

a first phosphor which, upon irradiation with light from the light source, emits light having a second luminescence spectrum that is different than the first luminescence spectrum;

wherein the first phosphor comprises at least one phosphor expressed by a formula selected from the group consisting of:

M(II) m/2 Si 12-(m+n)−x C x M(III) m+n N 16-n O n-y/2 H y :A;  (a)

M m/v Si 12-(m-m)−x C x M(III) m+n N 16-n O n-y/2 H y :A;  (b)

M(II) m/2 Si 12-(m+n)+x M(III) m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n-y/2 H y :A; and  (c)

M m/v Si 12-(m+n)+x M(III) m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n-y/2 H y :A;  (d)

wherein:

v is the valence number of M, 0≦m<5, 0≦n≦3, 0≦x<4, and 0≦y<1;

M(II) is at least one divalent cation;

M is at least one cation;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation;

H is at least one monovalent anion; and

A is a luminescence activator.

16. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein:

M(II) is at least one divalent cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, and Cd;

M is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, Cd, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cu, Ag, Au, B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, and Lu;

M(III) is at least one trivalent cation selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La and Gd;

H is at least one monovalent anion selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; and

A comprises at least one metal ion selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mn, Bi, and Sb.

17. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the phosphor is expressed by the formula Ca m/2 Si 12-(m+n)−x C x Al m+n N 16-n O n :Eu 2+ .

18. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the phosphor is expressed by the formula Ca m/2 Si 12-(m+n+x Al m+n−x N 16-n−x C x O n :Eu 2+ .

19. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the first luminescence spectrum is from about 330 nm to about 500 nm.

20. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the light source is a light emitting diode or a laser diode.

21. The light emitting device of claim 15 , further comprising a second phosphor.

22. The light emitting device of claim 21 , wherein the second phosphor is a red-emitting phosphor, a blue-emitting phosphor, or a green-emitting phosphor.

23. The light emitting device of claim 21 , wherein the second phosphor is a green-emitting phosphor or a blue-emitting phosphor.

24. The light emitting device of claim 21 , wherein the second phosphor is a green silicate phosphor or a green sulfide phosphor.

25. The light emitting device of claim 15 , further comprising at least two additional phosphors, wherein said at least two additional phosphors each comprise one or more of the following phosphors: a red-emitting phosphor, a blue-emitting phosphor, and a green-emitting phosphor.

26. The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the light emitting device emits white light.

27. The light emitting device of claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device emits white light.

28. The light emitting device of claim 26 , wherein the light emitting device emits warm or cool white light.

29. The light emitting device of claim 27 , wherein the light emitting device emits warm or cool white light.