Phosphor device, phosphor module, and manufacturing method of phosphor device

Abstract

To provide a phosphor device and the like capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated by a phosphor substrate while preventing the phosphor substrate from being damaged even when the phosphor substrate is formed more thinly.SOLUTION: A phosphor device 1 includes: a phosphor substrate 10 made of phosphor ceramics; and a support substrate 20 that is joined with the phosphor substrate 10 and supports the phosphor substrate 10. The thermal conductivity of the support substrate 20 is higher than that of the phosphor substrate 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a phosphor device, a phosphor module, and a method for manufacturing a phosphor device. [Background technology]

[0002] Light source modules using solid-state light-emitting elements such as LEDs or semiconductor lasers as light sources are used in projectors, endoscopes, vehicle headlamps, lighting devices, liquid crystal display devices, etc. This type of light source module includes, for example, a light source and a phosphor device that emits fluorescence when light emitted by the light source is incident thereon.

[0003] A phosphor device includes, for example, a substrate and a phosphor portion provided on the substrate. Conventionally, as this type of phosphor device, a phosphor portion is formed by a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramics (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-154220 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-41436 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When light (excitation light) incident on the phosphor section is absorbed by the phosphor section, the phosphor section generates heat due to luminescence Stokes loss and non-luminescence absorption. If the phosphor section is thick, a temperature distribution occurs in the phosphor section along the thickness direction. Specifically, in a phosphor section disposed on a substrate, the amount of light absorption is high in the upper (exposed surface) portion of the phosphor section where excitation light is irradiated, but as the excitation light penetrates the lower portion of the phosphor section, it weakens, resulting in low light absorption in the lower portion of the phosphor section. This results in a temperature distribution in the phosphor section. As a result, the phosphor section's luminous efficiency decreases or it ceases to emit light due to the heat generated by the phosphor section itself. Furthermore, because the phosphor section has low thermal conductivity, it is difficult to dissipate the heat generated in the upper portion of the phosphor section, resulting in a large temperature difference between the upper and lower portions of the phosphor section and increased distortion. Therefore, to reduce the temperature and distortion of the phosphor section, a thin phosphor section is preferable. For example, the thickness of the phosphor section should be 80 μm or less.

[0006] However, when the phosphor section is composed of a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramics, thinning the phosphor substrate (phosphor section) can lead to cracking, chipping, and other damage. Thinning the phosphor substrate to 80 μm or less can make the phosphor substrate particularly susceptible to damage. For example, when a phosphor substrate of 80 μm or less is fabricated, it can be damaged during fabrication. Furthermore, when attempting to bond a phosphor substrate of 80 μm or less to a substrate, the phosphor substrate can be damaged during bonding.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a phosphor device, etc. that can efficiently dissipate heat generated in the phosphor substrate while preventing damage to the phosphor substrate even when the phosphor substrate is made thin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the phosphor device of the present invention comprises a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramics, and a support substrate joined to the phosphor substrate and supporting the phosphor substrate, wherein the thermal conductivity of the support substrate is higher than the thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate.

[0009] Furthermore, one aspect of the phosphor module according to the present invention comprises the above-mentioned phosphor device and a heat spreader to which the phosphor device is fixed, and the support substrate of the phosphor device is fixed to the heat spreader.

[0010] Furthermore, one aspect of a method for manufacturing a phosphor device according to the present invention includes the steps of: bonding a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramic to a support substrate to produce a bonded body; polishing the phosphor substrate in the bonded body to thin the phosphor substrate; and dividing the bonded body to produce a plurality of phosphor devices in which the phosphor substrate and the support substrate are bonded together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even if the phosphor substrate is thinned, damage to the phosphor substrate can be suppressed, and heat generated in the phosphor substrate can be efficiently dissipated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a phosphor device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of use of the phosphor device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the phosphor device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of a bonded body in which a phosphor substrate and a support substrate are bonded together. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the phosphor module according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a phosphor module according to a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a phosphor device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a phosphor device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the phosphor device of the first modification. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a phosphor device according to the second modification. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a phosphor device according to the third modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present invention will be described as optional components.

[0014] Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configuration is assigned the same reference numeral, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified. Furthermore, in this specification, the terms "up" and "down" do not necessarily refer to the upward direction (vertically upward) and downward direction (vertically downward) in absolute spatial recognition.

[0015] (Embodiment 1) First, the configuration of a phosphor device 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a phosphor device 1 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 1, (a) is a top view of the phosphor device 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the phosphor device 1 taken along line bb in (a).

[0016] 1, the phosphor device 1 includes a phosphor substrate 10 and a support substrate 20 that supports the phosphor substrate 10. In this embodiment, the phosphor device 1 further includes an embedding layer 30 and a light-reflecting layer 40.

[0017] The phosphor substrate 10 is a phosphor section made of a phosphor that emits fluorescence when light is incident on it. Specifically, the phosphor substrate 10 is excited by excitation light and emits fluorescence with a wavelength longer than that of the excitation light. As an example, the phosphor substrate 10 is made of a yellow phosphor. In this case, the phosphor substrate 10 made of the yellow phosphor emits yellow fluorescence using light with a wavelength shorter than that of yellow light (for example, ultraviolet light to blue light) as excitation light. In other words, the phosphor substrate 10 made of the yellow phosphor converts the wavelength of the excitation light to yellow light with a wavelength longer than that of the excitation light. Note that the emission wavelength of the phosphor substrate 10 is not limited to wavelengths in the visible light band, and may be a wavelength in the infrared light range. In this case, the phosphor substrate 10 includes a phosphor that emits light with a wavelength in the infrared light range.

[0018] The phosphor substrate 10 is a phosphor portion made only of phosphor. In this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 is a phosphor plate made of phosphor ceramics. That is, the main component of the phosphor substrate 10 is phosphor ceramics. As an example, the phosphor substrate 10 is made of phosphor ceramics made of sintered polycrystalline phosphor. In this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 is made of phosphor ceramics only. That is, the phosphor substrate 10 does not contain a binder.

[0019] In this way, by making the phosphor substrate 10 out of phosphor ceramics, the heat resistance and thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate 10 can be improved. Furthermore, in the case of a phosphor substrate made of phosphor particles and a binder such as silicone, the binder deteriorates, increasing non-luminescent absorption and reducing the luminous efficiency of the phosphor substrate. However, by making the phosphor substrate 10 out of phosphor ceramics, the luminous efficiency (conversion efficiency) of the phosphor substrate 10 can be maintained over a long period of time. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 is made of phosphor ceramics. This reduces the volume of air and binder, which have lower thermal conductivity than phosphor crystals, contained in the phosphor substrate 10 per unit volume compared to a phosphor substrate made of phosphor particles and a binder such as silicone, thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate 10. Therefore, heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 can be efficiently dissipated.

[0020] Furthermore, examples of phosphors that make up phosphor ceramics include Lu2Ca and Y3Al5O 12 :Cr 3+ , La3Al5O12:Cr 3+ , Gd3Al5O 12 :Cr 3+ , Y3Ga2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , La3Ga2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , Gd3Ga2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , Y3Sc2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , La3Sc2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , Gd3Sc2(AlO4)3:Cr 3+ , Y3Ga5O 12 :Cr 3+ , La3Ga5O 12 :Cr 3+ , (Gd,La)3Ga5O 12 :Cr 3+ , Gd3Ga5O 12 :Cr 3+ , Y3Sc2(GaO4)3:Cr 3+ , La3Sc2(GaO4)3:Cr 3+ , Gd3Sc2(GaO4)3:Cr 3+, (Gd,La)3(Ga,Sc)2(GaO4)3:Cr 3+ , Y4CdMo3O 16 :Yb 3+ , K3LuSi2O7:Eu 2+ , CaO:Eu 2+ , Sr 2-y Ca y InSbO6:Fe 3+ , La3Ga5GeO 14 :Cr 3+ , ScBO3:Cr 3+ , Ga 2-x Sc x O3:Cr 3+ , (Sr,Ba) 10 (PO4)6Cl2:Eu 2+ , Lu2CaMg2Si3O 12 :Cr 3+ , Y3Al5O 12 :Ce 3+ , Lu3Al5O 12 :Ce 3+ , (Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu 2+ , CaAlSiN3:Eu 2+ , La3Si6N 11 :Ce 3+ , Lu2CaMg2Si3O 12 :Ce 3+ However, other phosphors may also be used. Note that this configuration is particularly effective when using a phosphor whose emission peak wavelength is 200 nm or more away from the excitation peak wavelength, since the phosphor generates a large amount of heat.

[0021] In this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 is made of phosphor ceramics consisting of only sintered YAG doped with Ce. 3+ It is made of YAG phosphor ceramics (refractive index 1.9) containing ZnO, and emits yellow fluorescence.

[0022] In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of luminous efficiency and temperature characteristics, a Ce-doped YAG single-phase polycrystalline body is used for the phosphor substrate 10, but other materials may be mixed in as long as they do not deteriorate in air at 300°C. For example, the object of the present invention can be achieved even if the phosphor substrate 10 is mixed with YAP, yttria, alumina, etc. at a level of a few percent.

[0023] The density of the phosphor substrate 10 is preferably 95% or more and 100% or less of the theoretical density. Here, the theoretical density is the density when the atoms in the layer are ideally arranged. In other words, the theoretical density is the density when it is assumed that there are no voids (gaps) in the phosphor substrate 10, and is a value calculated using the crystal structure. For example, if the density of the phosphor substrate 10 is 99%, the remaining 1% corresponds to voids. In other words, the higher the density of the phosphor substrate 10, the fewer voids there are. When the density of the phosphor substrate 10 is within the above range, the total amount of fluorescence emitted by the phosphor substrate 10 increases, thereby realizing a phosphor device 1 that emits a greater amount of light. In this embodiment, since countless voids (gaps) 11 exist inside the phosphor substrate 10, the density of the phosphor substrate 10 is less than 100% of the theoretical density. Furthermore, the density of the phosphor substrate 10 is 4.32 g / cm. 3 More than 4.55g / cm 3 The following is fine.

[0024] The phosphor substrate 10 has a first surface 10a and a second surface 10b opposite to the first surface 10a. The first surface 10a is the upper surface of the phosphor substrate 10, and the second surface 10b is the lower surface of the phosphor substrate 10. The first surface 10a is a light incident surface onto which light from a light source is incident. In this embodiment, the first surface 10a is an exposed surface exposed to the atmosphere. On the other hand, the second surface 10b is a surface on the support substrate 20 side. In this embodiment, the second surface 10b is in contact with the first surface 20a of the support substrate 20.

[0025] The phosphor substrate 10 has a rectangular, flat plate shape with a constant thickness. Therefore, the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b of the phosphor substrate 10 have a rectangular shape in plan view and are flat surfaces (planar surfaces). Specifically, similar to Patent Document 2, the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b are polished surfaces that are smooth and have low surface roughness. For example, the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b may be polished until the surface roughness Ra is 100 nm or less, and preferably until the surface roughness Ra is 10 nm or less. The planar shapes of the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b are not limited to rectangular.

[0026] The thickness of the flat phosphor substrate 10 is on the order of microns, less than 1000 μm. In this embodiment, the thickness of the phosphor substrate 10 is 100 μm or less. In order to lower the temperature of the phosphor substrate 10 and reduce distortion, the thickness of the phosphor substrate 10 should be 80 μm or less. On the other hand, considering the volume required for the phosphor substrate 10 to efficiently emit light after the light incident on the phosphor substrate 10 is absorbed by the phosphor ceramic, the thickness of the phosphor substrate 10 should be 5 μm or more.

[0027] Furthermore, the side surfaces (side end surfaces) of the phosphor substrate 10 are flush with the side surfaces (side end surfaces) of the support substrate 20. In this embodiment, the side surfaces of the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are flush with each other over the entire periphery. In other words, the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 have the same shape and size in top view.

[0028] The phosphor substrate 10 is bonded to the support substrate 20 via an intermediary such as an Ag alloy such as AgPdCu (APC) or SnAgCu, an Au alloy such as Ag or AuSn, or a metal such as Au, Al, Pt, Rh, Pd, or Ti.

[0029] The phosphor device 1 according to this embodiment has the burying layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40, and therefore the phosphor substrate 10 is bonded to the support substrate 20 via the burying layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40.

[0030] Furthermore, by providing an adhesive layer between the light-reflecting layer 40 and the support substrate 20, if unevenness exists on the surface of either or both of the phosphor substrate 10 and the embedding layer 30, even if the unevenness remains on the surface of the light-reflecting layer 40 facing the support substrate 20 after the light-reflecting layer 40 is formed, the adhesive layer can absorb the unevenness and make it flat. In other words, the adhesive layer functions as a planarizing layer. Furthermore, the adhesive layer serves as a bonding layer that bonds the light-reflecting layer 40 and the support substrate 20. This makes it possible to improve the bonding strength between the light-reflecting layer 40 and the support substrate 20.

[0031] The support substrate 20 is a rigid substrate that supports the phosphor substrate 10 and has higher rigidity than the phosphor substrate 10. The support substrate 20 not only supports the phosphor substrate 10 after it has been thinned, but also supports the phosphor substrate 10 when it is being thinned.

[0032] Furthermore, the support substrate 20 not only functions to support the phosphor substrate 10, but also to dissipate heat generated by the phosphor substrate 10. In other words, the support substrate 20 also functions as a heat dissipation substrate. Therefore, the support substrate 20 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity. Specifically, the thermal conductivity of the support substrate 20 is preferably higher than that of the phosphor substrate 10. This allows the heat generated by the phosphor substrate 10 to be efficiently conducted to the support substrate 20. The thermal conductivity of the support substrate 20 is preferably 100 W / mK or higher.

[0033] The support substrate 20 may be an aluminum substrate (Al substrate), a copper substrate (Cu substrate), a molybdenum substrate (Mo substrate), a tungsten substrate (W substrate), a silicon substrate (Si substrate), a silicon carbide substrate (SiC substrate), an aluminum nitride substrate (AlN substrate), or the like. The silicon substrate and the AlN substrate do not need to be single crystal and may be polycrystalline. The support substrate 20 may also be an alloy substrate made of multiple types of alloys. For example, the support substrate 20 may be a copper-tungsten composite substrate (Cu-W substrate), a copper-molybdenum substrate (Cu-Mo substrate), a copper-carbon composite substrate (Cu-C substrate), a magnesium silicon carbide substrate (Mg-SiC substrate), or the like.

[0034] Furthermore, the support substrate 20 has optical reflectivity that reflects light with wavelengths in the visible light band. In this case, by using an aluminum substrate as the support substrate 20, the support substrate 20 can have an optical reflecting function over a wide range of the visible light band. The optical reflectivity of the support substrate 20 allows the support substrate 20 to reflect light incident on the phosphor substrate 10 and fluorescence generated by the phosphor substrate 10.

[0035] The support substrate 20 has a first surface 20a and a second surface 20b opposite to the first surface 20a. The first surface 20a is the upper surface of the support substrate 20, and the second surface 20b is the lower surface of the support substrate 20. The first surface 20a is the surface on the phosphor substrate 10 side. In this embodiment, the first surface 20a of the support substrate 20 is in contact with the second surface 10b of the phosphor substrate 10. Specifically, the first surface 20a of the support substrate 20 and the second surface 10b of the phosphor substrate 10 are in surface contact.

[0036] The support substrate 20 is a rectangular, flat plate with a substantially uniform thickness. Therefore, the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b of the support substrate 20 are rectangular in plan view and are flat surfaces (planar surfaces). Specifically, the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b are polished surfaces that have been polished, and are smooth surfaces with low surface roughness. However, the planar shapes of the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b are not limited to rectangular.

[0037] The thickness of the support substrate 20 is greater than the thickness of the phosphor substrate 10. In this embodiment, the thickness of the support substrate 20 is 400 μm or greater. Specifically, the thickness of the support substrate 20 is five times or greater than the thickness of the phosphor substrate 10. Note that the thickness of the support substrate 20 is preferably 1 mm or greater when processing the phosphor substrate, which will be described later.

[0038] The embedding layer 30 is formed on the second surface 10b (surface facing the support substrate 20) of the phosphor substrate 10. Since countless voids 11 exist in the phosphor ceramic that constitutes the phosphor substrate 10, the voids 11 may be exposed on the second surface 10b (surface facing the support substrate 20) of the phosphor substrate 10. For this reason, when a reflective layer such as the light-reflecting layer 40 is formed on the phosphor substrate 10, if the reflective layer is thin compared to the voids 11, it will be interrupted at the voids 11, resulting in a decrease in reflectivity. In particular, when a dielectric multilayer film is used as the reflective layer, the decrease in reflectivity is significant. Therefore, it is advisable to form the embedding layer 30 and flatten the interface before forming the reflective layer.

[0039] The buried layer 30 is a dielectric film such as a silicon dioxide film made of silicon dioxide (SiO2). The buried layer 30 can be formed by a wet process. For example, the buried layer 30 can be formed by applying a liquid material to the second surface 10b of the phosphor substrate 10, spreading it by spin coating, and solidifying it. This allows the buried layer 30 to be formed with a flat surface without polishing. The method for forming the buried layer 30 is not limited to a wet process, but may also be a dry process. For example, the buried layer 30 may be formed on the second surface 10b of the phosphor substrate 10 by evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or the like. Furthermore, the surface of the buried layer 30 may be polished after formation to make it flat. From the viewpoint of thermal conductivity, the thickness of the buried layer 30 is preferably 3 μm or less, and more preferably 1 μm or less. This is because, as the thickness of the burying layer 30 increases, the thermal conductivity decreases, causing the temperature of the phosphor substrate 10 to increase during use.

[0040] The light-reflecting layer 40 is formed on the surface of the embedding layer 30 opposite to the phosphor substrate 10. The phosphor device 1 in this embodiment is a reflective phosphor device because the light-reflecting layer 40 reflects light from the light source and emits output light toward the light source side. Specifically, the light-reflecting layer 40 reflects light from the light source that has entered the phosphor substrate 10 and fluorescence generated by the phosphor substrate 10 that passes through the embedding layer 30 toward the support substrate 20 side.

[0041] The light-reflecting layer 40 is a metal film primarily composed of a metal such as silver. In this case, the metal light-reflecting layer can be formed by, for example, a vapor deposition method. The light-reflecting layer 40 is not limited to a metal film. For example, the light-reflecting layer 40 may be a dielectric multilayer film. In this case, a dielectric multilayer film with a reflectance of 90% or more can be formed by stacking multiple dielectric films with different refractive indices. Furthermore, a composite film of a dielectric multilayer film and a metal film for the light-reflecting layer 40 is even more advantageous because it can increase light reflectance over a wide angle with a small number of layers and can be designed to achieve a more enhanced reflection effect than a metal film alone. In this case, the phosphor device 1 has a layered structure of the phosphor substrate 10 / burying layer 30 / dielectric multilayer film / metal film. For the dielectric multilayer film, silicon oxide can be used as a low-refractive index material, and tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, or niobium oxide can be used as a high-refractive index material. However, from the standpoint of light resistance and heat resistance, tantalum oxide is preferably used as the high-refractive index material. As the metal film, APC, Al, Pt, Rh, etc. can be used in addition to silver.

[0042] Although not shown, an anti-reflection film may be formed on the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10. This makes it possible to suppress reflection of light incident on the phosphor substrate 10 from the first surface 10a side of the phosphor substrate 10, and to efficiently capture light incident on the phosphor substrate 10. As the anti-reflection film, a dielectric multilayer film in which dielectric films are stacked can be used.

[0043] Next, an example of use of the phosphor device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of use of the phosphor device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows how light from a light source 2 is incident on the phosphor device 1 and output light is emitted from the phosphor device 1. The light source 2 and the phosphor device 1 form a light source module.

[0044] 2, light L1 emitted from a light source 2 is incident on the phosphor device 1. Specifically, the light L1 emitted from the light source 2 is incident on a phosphor substrate 10 of the phosphor device 1. The light source 2 is, for example, a laser light source having a semiconductor laser that emits laser light as the light L1. Therefore, the phosphor substrate 10 of the phosphor device 1 is irradiated with the laser light.

[0045] Light L1 emitted from the light source 2 is incident on the phosphor substrate 10 of the phosphor device 1 as excitation light. As a result, the phosphor substrate 10 is excited by the light L1 from the light source 2, and fluorescence of a predetermined color is generated in the phosphor substrate 10. That is, part of the light L1 (excitation light) from the light source 2 is wavelength converted in the phosphor substrate 10 to become light L2 of a predetermined wavelength (wavelength-converted light). Then, light L2, which is the fluorescence generated in the phosphor substrate 10, is mixed with another part of the light L1 from the light source 2 that is light L1 that has been incident on the phosphor substrate 10 and has not been wavelength-converted, and this mixed light is emitted from the phosphor substrate 10 as output light La.

[0046] In this embodiment, since the phosphor device 1 is provided with the light-reflecting layer 40, the phosphor device 1 is a reflective phosphor device that reflects light L1 from the light source 2 and emits output light La toward the light source 2. Specifically, light L2 (fluorescence) generated by the phosphor substrate 10 and light L1 (excitation light) from the light source 2 that has been incident on the phosphor substrate 10 and not wavelength-converted by the phosphor substrate 10 are reflected by the light-reflecting layer 40 and travel toward the light source 2, and are emitted from the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10 to the outside of the phosphor substrate 10 as output light La. Therefore, the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10 is both a light incident surface and a light exit surface.

[0047] For example, if light source 2 is a laser light source that emits blue laser light and phosphor substrate 10 is a phosphor plate made of a yellow phosphor made of YAG phosphor ceramics, when light L1, which is laser light emitted from light source 2, is incident on phosphor substrate 10, phosphor substrate 10 is excited by absorbing a portion of the laser light (blue light), and yellow fluorescent light is generated as light L2 in phosphor substrate 10. Then, light L2, which is yellow light generated by phosphor substrate 10, and light L1, which is blue light that has entered phosphor substrate 10 and has not been wavelength-converted by phosphor substrate 10, are reflected by light reflecting layer 40 and mixed together to become white light, which is emitted from first surface 10a of phosphor substrate 10. In other words, white light, which is a mixture of yellow light L2 and blue light L1, is emitted as output light La from first surface 10a of phosphor substrate 10.

[0048] In order to realize a light source with a brightness higher than that of an LED, the laser light emitted from the light source 2 has a light density of about 10 W / mm on the surface of the phosphor substrate 10. 2 It is preferable that the laser beam is focused so as to achieve the above-mentioned. Furthermore, instead of irradiating the entire first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10 with the laser beam, the laser beam may be irradiated only partially onto a part of the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10. This allows the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 to be spread in the planar direction by the support substrate 20, which has high thermal conductivity, thereby making it possible to further lower the temperature of the phosphor substrate 10. Note that in order for the support substrate 20 to conduct heat in the planar direction, it is necessary for the support substrate 20 to have an appropriate thickness; for example, it is desirable for the thickness of the support substrate 20 to be 1 mm or more.

[0049] Next, a method for manufacturing the phosphor device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing the phosphor device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0050] When manufacturing the phosphor device 1, first, as shown in FIG. 3(a), a phosphor substrate 110 made of phosphor ceramic is prepared. For example, a phosphor sintered ingot is sliced ​​with a wire saw to prepare the phosphor substrate 110 made of phosphor ceramic. The prepared phosphor substrate 110 is made of the same material as the phosphor substrate 10 described above, but has a larger area than the phosphor substrate 10. The phosphor substrate 110 is a mother substrate for cutting out a plurality of phosphor devices 1 from a bonded body 100 of the phosphor substrate 110 and a support substrate 120, which will be described later.

[0051] At this time, the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110, which is the surface of the phosphor substrate 110 facing the support substrate 120, may be polished. This makes it possible to make the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110 a smooth (flat) surface. As a polishing method for polishing the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120, a mechanical polishing method, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method, or the like may be used. Note that the first surface 110a of the phosphor substrate 110 (the surface opposite to the second surface 110b) may or may not be polished. Similarly, the second surface 120b of the support substrate 120 (the surface opposite to the first surface 120a) may or may not be polished.

[0052] 3(b), a burying layer 130 is formed on the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110. This allows the voids 11 exposed on the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110 to be filled with the burying layer 130. That is, a portion of the burying layer 130 is filled in the voids 11 exposed on the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110. The burying layer 130 may be formed by a wet process such as spin coating or spray coating, or by a dry process such as CVD film formation, sputtering film formation, or vacuum deposition.

[0053] 3(c), the light-reflecting layer 140 is formed on the exposed surface of the embedding layer 130 (the surface opposite to the phosphor substrate 110 side). At this time, the exposed surface of the light-reflecting layer 140 (the surface opposite to the embedding layer 130 side) is a flat, smooth surface. The light-reflecting layer 140 may be made of the same material as the light-reflecting layer 40 described above.

[0054] 3(d), the support substrate 120 is prepared, and the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120 are bonded together via the embedding layer 130 and the light reflecting layer 140, thereby producing the bonded body 100. Specifically, the support substrate 120 is bonded to a phosphor substrate laminate in which the embedding layer 130 and the light reflecting layer 140 are laminated on the phosphor substrate 110, and at this time, the exposed surface (the surface opposite to the phosphor substrate 110) of the light reflecting layer 140 in the phosphor substrate laminate shown in FIG.

[0055] The support substrate 120 is prepared, for example, by slicing a support substrate ingot with a wire saw. The prepared support substrate 120 is made of the same material as the support substrate 20 described above, but has a larger area than the support substrate 20. The support substrate 120 is a mother substrate for cutting out a plurality of phosphor devices 1 from a bonded body 100 of a phosphor substrate 110 and a support substrate 120, which will be described later. The thickness of the support substrate 120 is, for example, 1 mm.

[0056] Next, as shown in FIG. 3(e), the phosphor substrate 110 in the joined body 100 is polished to thin the phosphor substrate 110. Specifically, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned by polishing the first surface 110a of the phosphor substrate 110. In this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned until its thickness is smaller than that of the support substrate 120. This makes it possible to obtain a joined body 100T in which the thinned phosphor substrate 110T and the support substrate 120 are joined via the embedding layer 130 and the light reflecting layer 140.

[0057] Polishing the phosphor substrate 110 not only makes the phosphor substrate 110 thinner, but also makes the first surface 110a of the phosphor substrate 110 smooth, and when an anti-reflection film is formed on the first surface 110a, the anti-reflection effect can be improved. The phosphor substrate 110 can be polished by mechanical polishing, chemical polishing, or the like.

[0058] Next, as shown in FIG. 3(f), the bonded body 100T is divided to produce a plurality of phosphor devices 1 in which the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are bonded via the embedding layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40. Specifically, the bonded body 100T having the thinned phosphor substrate 110T is cut using a dicing device to divide the bonded body 100T into a plurality of pieces. For example, the bonded body 100T is divided into a plurality of pieces by dicing in the row and column directions along the division lines indicated by the dashed-dotted lines in FIG. 4. This allows the production of a plurality of phosphor devices 1, each having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. As an example, the shape of the phosphor device 1 when viewed from above is a rectangle with vertical and horizontal lengths of 1 mm to 10 mm. In this embodiment, the shape of the phosphor device 1 when viewed from above is a square with both vertical and horizontal lengths of 4 mm.

[0059] Although a dicing method using a dicing blade is exemplified, other known dicing methods may also be used, such as laser dicing using a laser, dicing using a water jet laser, or a combination of these.

[0060] As described above, in the present embodiment, the assembled body 100T in which the phosphor substrate 110T, the burying layer 130, the light reflecting layer 140, and the support substrate 120 are stacked is cut to cut out a plurality of phosphor devices 1 from the assembled body 100T. This makes it possible to manufacture phosphor devices 1 in which the side surfaces of the phosphor substrate 110T, the burying layer 30, the light reflecting layer 40, and the support substrate 20 are all substantially flush with each other over the entire periphery.

[0061] 4, the shape of the phosphor substrate 110T in a top view is circular (i.e., the circular shape of the phosphor substrate 110 before thinning), but this is not limiting. For example, the shape of the phosphor substrate 110T (phosphor substrate 110) in a top view may be rectangular. In this case, the shapes of the phosphor substrate 110T and the support substrate 120 in a top view may be rectangular with the same size or different sizes. Furthermore, in FIG. 4, the joined body 100T is divided into six in each of the row and column directions, but this is not limiting.

[0062] In this manner, the phosphor device 1 having the structure shown in Fig. 1 can be fabricated. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, phosphor modules 3 and 3A may be fabricated by fixing the thus fabricated phosphor device 1 to a heat spreader 4. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the phosphor module 3 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a phosphor module 3A that is a modified example of the first embodiment.

[0063] The phosphor modules 3 and 3A shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 include a phosphor device 1 and a heat spreader 4 to which the phosphor device 1 is fixed. In this case, the support substrate 20 of the phosphor device 1 is fixed to the heat spreader 4. By fixing the phosphor device 1 to the heat spreader 4 in this manner, heat generated in the phosphor device 1 can be conducted to the heat spreader 4 and dissipated. The heat spreader 4 functions as a heat sink, and therefore, like the support substrate 20, it is preferable that the heat spreader 4 be made of a material with high thermal conductivity. As an example, the heat spreader 4 is a metal member made of a metal material such as aluminum or copper.

[0064] In the phosphor module 3 shown in FIG. 5 , the phosphor device 1 is disposed on the upper surface of the heat spreader 4. The phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4 can be fixed together by, for example, an adhesive 5. In this case, the adhesive 5 serves as an adhesive layer between the phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4. The adhesive 5 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a thermally conductive adhesive. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the adhesive 5 is preferably present not only on the bottom surface of the support substrate 20 but also on the side surfaces of the support substrate 20. This enhances the thermal conductivity from the phosphor device 1 to the heat spreader 4. To enhance the thermal conductivity from the side surfaces of the support substrate 20 and to prevent the adhesive 5 from adhering to the phosphor substrate 10, the thickness of the support substrate 20 is preferably 400 μm or more, more preferably 1 mm or more. If the adhesive 5 adheres to the phosphor substrate 10, light is absorbed by the adhesive 5, resulting in a decrease in luminous efficiency and an increase in temperature. For this reason, it is preferable that the adhesive 5 not be attached to the phosphor substrate 10. The adhesive 5 may be a metal paste using Cu or Ag, a resin containing a highly heat-conductive filler, or solder.

[0065] Furthermore, the phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4 may be fixed to each other by a method other than the adhesive 5. For example, the phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4 may be fixed to each other by welding. In this case, the phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4 may be welded to each other by laser welding, TIG welding, or the like. When welding is used to fix the phosphor device 1 and the heat spreader 4, in order to avoid any influence on the phosphor substrate 10 and the interface between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20, the support substrate 20 should preferably have a thickness of 400 μm or more, more preferably 1 mm or more.

[0066] In addition, in the phosphor module 3 shown in FIG. 6, the phosphor device 1 is press-fitted into a hole 4a provided in the heat spreader 4. This allows the phosphor device 1 to be fixed to the heat spreader 4 without using adhesive. Therefore, heat generated in the phosphor device 1 can be efficiently conducted to the heat spreader 4 and dissipated. In order for the phosphor device 1 to maintain a rigidity sufficient to withstand press-fitting, the thickness of the support substrate 20 should be 10% or more of the width of the phosphor device 1. For example, in the case of a 4 mm square phosphor device 1, the thickness of the support substrate 20 should desirably be 400 μm or more.

[0067] In FIG. 6, the hole 4a is a through-hole penetrating the heat spreader 4, but this is not limiting. For example, the hole 4a may be a recess having a bottom surface. In this case, the hole 4a can be formed by recessing a portion of the heat spreader 4. In addition, in FIG. 6, the phosphor device 1 is inserted only partway into the through-hole 4a, but this is not limiting. For example, the phosphor device 1 may be inserted until the bottom surface of the phosphor device 1 and the bottom surface of the through-hole are flush with each other. Furthermore, by adjusting the insertion position of the phosphor device 1 in the hole 4a, the positional relationship between the top surface of the heat spreader 4 and the top surface of the phosphor device 1 can be adjusted. This makes it possible to easily determine the position of an optical system, such as a lens, relative to the top surface of the phosphor device 1, which serves as the light-emitting surface, using the top surface of the heat spreader 4 as a reference surface.

[0068] The phosphor device 1 or phosphor modules 3, 3A configured in this manner can be used in various products such as projectors, endoscopes, vehicle headlamps, lighting devices, liquid crystal display devices, etc. When the phosphor modules 3 and 3A are mounted in a product, the heat spreader 4 itself may serve as a heat sink, or the heat spreader 4 may be connected to another heat sink.

[0069] As described above, in the phosphor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 made of phosphor ceramic is bonded to the support substrate 20 and is supported by the support substrate 20. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the phosphor substrate 10 even if a thin phosphor substrate 10 is formed when the phosphor device 1 is fabricated.

[0070] In particular, in the present embodiment, when the phosphor device 1 is fabricated, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned by polishing, and the phosphor substrate 110 is supported by the support substrate 120 during this polishing. This prevents the phosphor substrate 110 from being damaged during polishing. For example, even when a phosphor substrate 110 having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the support substrate 120 is polished to a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the support substrate 120, damage to the phosphor substrate 110 during polishing can be prevented. Specifically, even when the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned to 80 μm or less, damage to the phosphor substrate 110 can be prevented. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the phosphor device 1 is fabricated, a bonded body 100T in which a phosphor substrate 110T and a support substrate 120 are bonded together is divided to fabricate multiple phosphor devices 1. Even during this division, the phosphor substrate 110T is supported by the support substrate 120, which prevents the thin phosphor substrate 110T from being damaged during division.

[0071] Furthermore, in the phosphor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the support substrate 20 is higher than the thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate 10. As a result, even if the phosphor substrate 10 is thin, the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 can be efficiently conducted to the support substrate 20, and the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 can be efficiently dissipated.

[0072] In this way, in the phosphor device 1 according to this embodiment, even if the phosphor substrate 10 is made thin, damage to the phosphor substrate 10 can be prevented, and heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 can be efficiently dissipated.

[0073] In addition, in the phosphor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the thickness of the support substrate 20 is greater than the thickness of the phosphor substrate .

[0074] With this configuration, the phosphor substrate 10 can be firmly supported by the support substrate 20, which further prevents damage to the phosphor substrate 10. Furthermore, when the phosphor device 1 is produced, the phosphor substrate 110 can be firmly supported by the support substrate 120, which effectively prevents damage to the phosphor substrate 110 during the manufacturing process of the phosphor device 1.

[0075] In the phosphor device 1 according to this embodiment, the support substrate 20 is a highly thermally conductive substrate having a thermal conductivity of 100 W / mK or more. For example, the support substrate 20 is a metal substrate.

[0076] This configuration allows the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 to be efficiently conducted to the support substrate 20, thereby enabling the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 to be dissipated even more efficiently. However, if a material having a thermal expansion coefficient difference of 20% or more relative to that of the phosphor substrate 10 is used as the material for the support substrate 20, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 may become so large that, depending on the conditions of use, the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 may peel off. Therefore, when the phosphor substrate 10 is made of YAG, it is preferable to use a copper alloy such as a CuW substrate or a CuMo substrate, or a substrate made of Mg—SiC as the support substrate 20. This reduces the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20, thereby preventing the phosphor substrate 10 from peeling off from the support substrate 20. The thermal expansion coefficient of the support substrate 20 is, for example, 7 to 9 × 10 -6 It is good to have / K.

[0077] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the phosphor device 1 according to this embodiment includes a step of bonding a phosphor substrate 110 made of phosphor ceramic to a support substrate 120 to produce a bonded body 100 ((d) of FIG. 3), a step of polishing the phosphor substrate 110 in the bonded body 100 to thin the phosphor substrate 110 ((e) of FIG. 3), and a step of dividing the bonded body 100T to produce a plurality of phosphor devices 1 in which the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are bonded ((f) of FIG. 3).

[0078] As described above, in the present embodiment, after bonding the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned by polishing or the like to reduce its thickness. As a result, the phosphor substrate 110 is supported by the support substrate 120 when thinning the phosphor substrate 110, and therefore damage to the phosphor substrate 110 when thinning the phosphor substrate 110 can be reduced. Furthermore, when dividing the joined body 100T in which the thinned phosphor substrate 110T and the support substrate 120 are bonded, the phosphor substrate 110T is supported by the support substrate 120, and therefore damage to the phosphor substrate 110T when dividing the joined body 100T can be reduced.

[0079] Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the phosphor device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to produce a phosphor device 1 that can efficiently dissipate heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 while preventing damage to the phosphor substrate 10 even if the phosphor substrate 10 is made thin.

[0080] (Embodiment 2) Next, a phosphor device 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the phosphor device 1A according to the second embodiment.

[0081] 7, the phosphor device 1A according to the present embodiment differs from the phosphor device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it does not include the burying layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40. In other words, the burying layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40 are not provided between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20, and the phosphor substrate 10 is bonded to the support substrate 20 without the burying layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40 interposed therebetween.

[0082] In the present embodiment, the support substrate 20 has light reflectivity. For example, the support substrate 20 is made of Al or an Al alloy. By using a reflective support substrate 20, a reflective phosphor device 1A can be realized without using the light-reflecting layer 40. In this case, when excitation light from the light source is incident on the phosphor device 1A, the excitation light is wavelength-converted in the phosphor substrate 10, and light (fluorescence) is generated in the phosphor substrate 10. The light generated in the phosphor substrate 10 and the light incident on the phosphor substrate 10 that has not been wavelength-converted in the phosphor substrate 10 are reflected by the first surface 20a of the support substrate 20 and travel toward the light source, and are emitted from the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10 as output light to the outside of the phosphor substrate 10.

[0083] In this embodiment, since the light reflectivity of the support substrate 20 is utilized, when the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are bonded and fixed with an adhesive, it is preferable to use a thin adhesive so that the adhesive has light transmissivity. For example, the adhesive may be 100 nm or less. Alternatively, the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 may be bonded directly without an adhesive.

[0084] Next, a method for manufacturing the phosphor device 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing the phosphor device 1A according to the second embodiment.

[0085] First, similarly to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120 are prepared. Next, the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120 are polished. Specifically, for the phosphor substrate 110, the second surface 110b, which is the surface of the phosphor substrate 110 facing the support substrate 120, is polished. For the support substrate 120, the first surface 120a, which is the surface of the support substrate 120 facing the phosphor substrate 110, is polished. This makes it possible to make the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110 and the first surface 120a of the support substrate 120 smooth (flat) surfaces. The phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120 can be polished by a mechanical polishing method, a chemical polishing method, or the like.

[0086] 8(b), the phosphor substrate 110 and the support substrate 120 are bonded together to produce the bonded body 200. Specifically, the second surface 110b of the phosphor substrate 110 and the first surface 120a of the support substrate 120 are bonded together.

[0087] Next, as shown in (c) of FIG. 8, the phosphor substrate 110 in the joined body 200 is polished to thin the phosphor substrate 110. Specifically, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned by polishing the first surface 110a of the phosphor substrate 110. In the present embodiment, too, the phosphor substrate 110 is thinned until its thickness is smaller than that of the support substrate 120. This makes it possible to obtain a joined body 200T in which the thinned phosphor substrate 110T and the support substrate 120 are joined together.

[0088] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(d), the joined body 200T is divided to produce a plurality of phosphor devices 1A in which the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are joined together. Specifically, the joined body 200T having the thinned phosphor substrate 110T is cut by a dicing device to divide the joined body 200T into a plurality of pieces. This makes it possible to produce a plurality of phosphor devices 1A, each having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. As an example, the shape of the phosphor device 1A when viewed from above is a rectangle with vertical and horizontal lengths of 1 mm to 10 mm, similar to the phosphor device 1 in the first embodiment.

[0089] As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of phosphor devices 1A are cut out from the joined body 200T by cutting the joined body 200T in which the phosphor substrate 110T and the support substrate 120 are laminated together. This makes it possible to manufacture phosphor devices 1A in which the side surfaces of the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20 are substantially flush with each other over the entire periphery.

[0090] As described above, the phosphor device 1A according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment 1. For example, also in the phosphor device 1A according to this embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 made of phosphor ceramic is bonded to and supported by the support substrate 20, and the thermal conductivity of the support substrate 20 is higher than the thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate 10. This makes it possible to achieve effects such as preventing damage to the phosphor substrate 10 even if the phosphor substrate 10 is made thin, and efficiently dissipating heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10.

[0091] In addition, in the phosphor device 1A according to the present embodiment, the phosphor substrate 10 is directly bonded to the support substrate 20.

[0092] This configuration allows the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 to be efficiently conducted to the support substrate 20. This allows the heat generated in the phosphor substrate 10 to be dissipated even more efficiently.

[0093] In addition, in the phosphor device 1A according to the present embodiment, the support substrate 20 has light reflectivity.

[0094] With this configuration, light incident on the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10 and fluorescence generated in the phosphor substrate 10 can be reflected by the support substrate 20 and emitted from the first surface 10a of the phosphor substrate 10. In other words, a reflective phosphor device 1 can be realized.

[0095] 9(a), a reflection-enhancing layer 50 made of a dielectric multilayer film or the like may be formed between a light-reflective support substrate 20 (such as an aluminum substrate) and the phosphor substrate 10. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the reflection-enhancing layer 50 is formed on the support substrate 20, and the support substrate 20 on which the reflection-enhancing layer 50 has been formed is joined to the phosphor substrate 10, thereby obtaining the phosphor device 1B.

[0096] 10(a), a light-reflecting layer 40 may be formed between the support substrate 20 and the reflection-enhancing layer 50. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the light-reflecting layer 40 and the reflection-enhancing layer 50 are formed on the support substrate 20, and the support substrate 20 on which the light-reflecting layer 40 and the reflection-enhancing layer 50 have been formed is joined to the phosphor substrate 10, thereby obtaining the phosphor device 1C.

[0097] In addition, in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the reflection-enhancing layer 50 and the phosphor substrate 10 are bonded together with an adhesive, it is preferable to use an adhesive with high light transmittance.

[0098] (Variation) Although the phosphor device and the like according to the present invention have been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0099] For example, in the first embodiment, the embedding layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40 are provided between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20, but this is not limiting. For example, if the support substrate 20 has light reflectivity, the light-reflecting layer 40 does not need to be provided. Specifically, as in a phosphor device 1D shown in FIG. 11 , of the embedding layer 30 and the light-reflecting layer 40, only the embedding layer 30 may be provided between the phosphor substrate 10 and the support substrate 20.

[0100] In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the light source 2 is a laser light source that emits laser light, but is not limited to this. Specifically, the light source 2 may be another solid-state light-emitting element such as an LED, or may be an optical device that emits light other than a solid-state light-emitting element.

[0101] In the first and second embodiments, the light source module including the light source 2 and the phosphor device is a fixed type in which the phosphor device does not move, but this is not limiting. For example, the light source module may be a rotating type in which the phosphor device rotates. In this case, the phosphor device can be used as a rotating phosphor wheel.

[0102] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-described embodiments that a person skilled in the art would conceive, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of two or more claims from the multiple claims set forth in the claims at the time of filing, provided that there is no technical contradiction. For example, when a dependent claim set forth in the claims at the time of filing is made into a multiple claim or multiple multiple claims that cite all of the superordinate claims within the scope of the technical contradiction, the present invention also includes all combinations of claims included in that multiple claim or multiple multiple multiple claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D Phosphor Devices 3. 3A phosphor module 4 Heat spreader 4a Hole 10, 110, 110T phosphor substrate 11 Vacancies 20, 120 Support substrate 30, 130 embedding layer 40, 140 light reflective layer 100, 100T, 200, 200T joint

Claims

1. a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramics; a support substrate bonded to the phosphor substrate and supporting the phosphor substrate, The thermal conductivity of the support substrate is higher than the thermal conductivity of the phosphor substrate. Phosphor device.

2. The side surface of the phosphor substrate and the side surface of the support substrate are flush with each other over the entire periphery. The phosphor device of claim 1 .

3. The thickness of the support substrate is greater than the thickness of the phosphor substrate. The phosphor device of claim 1 .

4. The thickness of the support substrate is 1 mm or more. The phosphor device of claim 3 .

5. The thickness of the phosphor substrate is 5 μm or more and 80 μm or less.

5. The phosphor device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The support substrate is a metal substrate containing metal as a main component. The phosphor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The support substrate has light reflectivity. The phosphor device of claim 6 .

8. The phosphor substrate is directly bonded to the support substrate. The phosphor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The phosphor substrate further includes a buried layer formed on a surface of the phosphor substrate facing the support substrate, pores of the phosphor ceramic are exposed on a surface of the phosphor substrate facing the support substrate, the buried layer is formed to fill the voids, the phosphor substrate is bonded to the support substrate via the embedding layer; The phosphor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. The buried layer is a dielectric film. The phosphor device of claim 9 .

11. a light-reflecting layer formed on the surface of the buried layer opposite to the phosphor substrate, the phosphor substrate is bonded to the support substrate via the embedding layer and the light reflecting layer; The phosphor device of claim 9 .

12. the light reflecting layer is a dielectric multilayer film; The phosphor device of claim 11 .

13. The light-reflecting layer is a metal film containing a metal as a main component. The phosphor device of claim 11 .

14. The phosphor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a heat spreader to which the phosphor device is fixed, the support substrate of the phosphor device is fixed to the heat spreader; Phosphor module.

15. the phosphor device is disposed on the upper surface of the heat spreader; The phosphor module of claim 14.

16. the phosphor device is press-fitted into a hole provided in the heat spreader; The phosphor module of claim 14.

17. a step of bonding a phosphor substrate made of phosphor ceramic to a support substrate to prepare a bonded body; a step of thinning the phosphor substrate by polishing the phosphor substrate in the bonded body; and dividing the bonded body to fabricate a plurality of phosphor devices in which the phosphor substrate and the support substrate are bonded together. A method for manufacturing a phosphor device.

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