IP Library Granted Patent US 12,402,453
Granted Patent B2
US 12,402,453 · App. 18/387,630 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Systems and methods for fluoride ceramic phosphors for LED lighting

Inventors: Nerine Cherepy (Piedmont, CA); Ross Allen Osborne (Livermore, CA); Stephen Payne (Castro Valley, CA); Zachary Seeley (Livermore, CA); Alok Srivastava (Niskayuna, NY); William Beers (Chesterland, OH); William Cohen (Solon, OH)
Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC; Current Lighting Solutions, LLC
H10H20/8513F21K9/64F21K9/90H10H20/01H10H20/8581F21Y2115/10F21Y2115/30H10H20/0361
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,402,453
App. No.
18/387,630
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a lighting component which may comprise a light emitting diode (LED) or laser diode (LD) for generating at least one of blue light or ultraviolet light. A fluoride phosphor matrix may be included, which may be consolidated into a phosphor ceramic structure including at least one of a transparent fluoride ceramic structure or a translucent fluoride ceramic structure, and positioned adjacent to the LED or LD. The phosphor ceramic structure generates at least one of red or orange light when irradiated by the light emitted from the LED or LD. The phosphor ceramic structure exhibits reduced thermal quenching relative to a fluoride particulate structure irradiated by the LED or LD.

Claims (25)

1. A method for forming a light modifying structure, the method comprising:

heating a composite powder including a fluoride powder and a phosphor powder including a plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles to a temperature within a predetermined temperature range to form a heated powder; and

applying pressure to the heated composite powder within a predetermined pressure range to form a fluoride phosphor matrix including the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles dispersed therein, a first amount of relative photon emissions of the distinct additional phosphor particles being greater than a second amount of relative photon emissions of the fluoride phosphor matrix, the fluoride phosphor matrix with the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles defining the light modifying structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is greater than or equal to about 150° C. to less than or equal to about 400° C.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined pressure range is greater than or equal to about 6,894 kPa to less than or equal to about 137,895 kPa.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes preparing the composite powder, the preparation of the composite powder including contacting the fluoride powder and the phosphor powder.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the preparation of the composite powder further includes applying a mixing force to the fluoride powder and the phosphor powder to form a homogeneous composite powder.

6. A method for forming a single-layered phosphor composite structure, the method comprising:

consolidating a composite powder including a fluoride powder and a phosphor powder including a plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles to form a fluoride phosphor matrix including the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles dispersed therein, a first amount of relative photon emissions of the distinct additional phosphor particles being greater than a second amount of relative photon emissions of the fluoride phosphor matrix, the fluoride phosphor matrix with the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles defining the single-layered phosphor composite structure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the consolidating of the composite powder includes vacuum sintering, controlled atmosphere sintering, hot-pressing, spark plasma sintering, three-dimensional printing, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hot-pressing includes heating the composite powder to a temperature greater than room temperature and below the melting or decomposition temperature of the fluoride powder.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is greater than or equal to about 150° C. to less than or equal to about 400° C.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hot-pressing includes applying a pressure to the composite powder, the pressure being greater than or equal to about greater than or equal to about 6,894 kPa to less than or equal to about 137,895 kPa.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further includes preparing the composite powder, the preparation of the composite powder including contacting the fluoride powder and the phosphor powder.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the preparation of the composite powder further includes applying a mixing force to the fluoride powder and the phosphor powder to form a homogeneous composite powder.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluoride phosphor matrix includes a cubic or near-cubic K 2 PtCl 6 structure type.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluoride phosphor matrix comprises M 2 M′F 6 , where M is selected from the group consisting of: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and combinations thereof, and M′ is selected from the group consisting of: Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, Hf, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claims 6 , wherein the fluoride phosphor matrix comprises K 2 SiF 6 , Li 2 SiF 6 , Na 2 SiF 6 , Rb 2 SiF 6 , Cs 2 SiF 6 , K 2 GeF 6 , Li 2 GeF 6 , Na 2 GeF 6 , Rb 2 GeF 6 , Cs 2 GeF 6 , Li 2 SnF 6 , Na 2 SnF 6 , Rb 2 SnF 6 , Cs 2 SnF 6 , K 2 ZrF 6 , Li 2 ZrF 6 , Na 2 ZrF 6 , Rb 2 ZrF 6 , Cs 2 ZrF 6 , K 2 HfF 6 , Li 2 HfF 6 , Na 2 HfF 6 , Rb 2 HfF 6 , Cs 2 HfF 6 , K 2 TiF 6 , Li 2 TiF 6 , Na 2 TiF 6 , Rb 2 TiF 6 , Cs 2 TiF 6 , or any mixtures or solid solutions thereof.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles comprises an oxide phosphor, the oxide phosphor including Ce-doped (Lu,Gd,Y) 3 (Al,Ga) 5 O 12 garnet compounds.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles comprises an oxide phosphor, a nitride phosphor, an oxynitride phosphor, a sulfide phosphor, an oxysulfide phosphor, a selenide phosphor, or any combination thereof.

18. A method for forming a fluoride phosphor matrix, the method comprising:

contacting a fluoride powder and a phosphor powder to form a composite powder, the phosphor powder including a plurality of distinct additional phosphor particles;

consolidating the composite powder to form the fluoride phosphor matrix, the fluoride phosphor matrix including the distinct additional phosphor particles homogeneously distribute throughout, a first amount of relative photon emissions of the distinct additional phosphor particles being greater than a second amount of relative photon emissions of the fluoride phosphor matrix.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the consolidating of the composite powder includes heating the composite powder to a temperature is greater than or equal to about 150° C. to less than or equal to about 400° C.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the consolidating of the composite powder includes applying a pressure to the composite powder, the pressure being greater than or equal to about 68.04 atm to less than or equal to about 1360.91 atm.

Assignments (1)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS) Recorded Dec 4, 2023
From: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 065758/0188 →
Continuity (3)
Division 16696472 · Nov 26, 2019
Provisional Application 62772390 · Nov 28, 2018
Related Publication 20240072217A1 · Feb 29, 2024
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