Method for manufacturing cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member

Abstract

To provide a method capable of efficiently manufacturing columnar or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member with high dimensional accuracy.SOLUTION: The manufacturing method of a columnar or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member includes the steps of: holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder 10A; forming a wavelength conversion member block 50A including a precursor 51A of a columnar wavelength conversion member by performing machining and processing the retained plate-shaped wavelength conversion member; and separating the precursor 51A of wavelength conversion member of columnar into pieces. The cutting and processing process performs a cutting process that includes at least two of roughing and finishing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member. [Background technology]

[0002] As a light emitting device equipped with a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (LED), for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a combination of a light emitting element and a wavelength conversion member disposed on the light emitting element is known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-109946 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The wavelength conversion member may be required to have a cylindrical or ring-like shape with high dimensional accuracy depending on the application of the light emitting device. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently manufacturing a cylindrical or ring-like wavelength conversion member with high dimensional accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder; a step of performing a cutting process on the held plate-like wavelength conversion member to form a wavelength conversion member block including a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; A step of singulating the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; Including, The cutting process includes at least two processes, ie, rough processing and finish processing, in the manufacturing method of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a substrate; a step of forming a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member by subjecting the held plate-shaped wavelength conversion member to a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different diameters, in a substantially circumferential shape; Including, In the method for manufacturing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member, each of the first cutting process and the second cutting process includes at least two cutting processes, namely, rough cutting and finishing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member with high dimensional accuracy can be efficiently manufactured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a cutting process (rough machining+finishing process) of a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a step of inverting a wavelength conversion member block). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a grinding step of a wavelength conversion member block). [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a grinding step of a wavelength conversion member block). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a grinding step of a wavelength conversion member block). [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the first embodiment of the present invention (a step of singulating a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member). [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (a step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (a cutting process (rough machining+finishing process) of a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the second embodiment of the present invention (a step of inverting a wavelength conversion member block). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (a cutting process (rough machining+finish machining) process for a wavelength conversion member block). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (a diameter adjustment step of a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member). [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method for a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (a step of singulating a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member). [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically illustrates a method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a step of preparing a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically illustrates a method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically shows a method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a cutting process (rough machining+finishing process) of a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically shows a method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a step of preparing a holder with an insertion hole). [Figure 18]FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically shows a method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the third embodiment of the present invention (a step of starting to insert part of a wavelength conversion member block into a holder with an insertion hole). [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that typically illustrates a method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a step of holding a wavelength conversion member block in a holder with an insertion hole). [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view that illustrates a manufacturing method (a grinding step of a wavelength conversion member block) of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of a manufacturing method (a grinding step of a wavelength conversion member block) of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention (a step of dividing a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member into individual components). [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention (a step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a base material). [Figure 24] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention (a first cutting process (rough machining) step). [Diagram 25] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention (a second cutting treatment (rough machining) step). [Figure 26] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a manufacturing method (first cutting processing (finishing processing) step) of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 27] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a manufacturing method (second cutting processing (finishing processing) step) of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention (a step of removing a precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Figure 29]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 5 of the present invention (a step of holding a stack of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members on a base material). [Diagram 30] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 5 of the present invention (first cutting treatment (rough machining) step). [Diagram 31] 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 5 of the present invention (a second cutting treatment (rough machining) step). [Diagram 32] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 5 of the present invention (a step of removing a precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member). [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 6 of the present invention (a step of holding a stack of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members on a base material). [Diagram 34] 13 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 6 of the present invention (first cutting treatment (rough machining) step). FIG. [Diagram 35] 13 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 6 of the present invention (a second cutting treatment (rough machining) step). FIG. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 6 of the present invention (a slicing step of a precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Method of manufacturing cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions will be used as necessary. However, the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meanings of these terms do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in multiple drawings refer to the same or equivalent parts. In addition, in the drawings, not only those related to specific components described in the following embodiments, but also those components that are not directly related to the specific components are given reference numerals.

[0010] Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of manufacturing methods for cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion members to embody the technical ideas of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. In addition, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended to be illustrative, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, unless otherwise specified. In addition, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation.

[0011] As described in detail below, each of the manufacturing methods for a cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that when performing cutting processing on a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member, the cutting processing includes at least two processes, namely rough processing and finishing processing.

[0012] As a result, a precursor of a wavelength conversion member having a predetermined shape is formed by rough processing in the first stage, and then the precursor of the wavelength conversion member having the predetermined shape is finished to have the desired dimensions in the second stage, so that a wavelength conversion member having the desired dimensions can be obtained more easily than when only one cutting process is performed. As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently obtain a wavelength conversion member having high dimensional accuracy. In particular, when at least two cylindrical wavelength conversion members are manufactured according to this feature, it is advantageous in that the dimensional variation of each cylindrical wavelength conversion member can be reduced. Similarly, when at least two ring-shaped wavelength conversion members are manufactured, it is advantageous in that the dimensional variation of each ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can be reduced.

[0013] In the following, embodiments 1 to 3 will be described as a method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member, and embodiments 4 to 7 will be described as a method for manufacturing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member.

[0014] <Method of manufacturing cylindrical wavelength conversion member> EMBODIMENT 1 A method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] (Preparation process of plate-shaped wavelength conversion member) First, a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member is prepared. A plate-shaped wavelength conversion sintered body can be used as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A. The plate-shaped wavelength conversion sintered body can be obtained, for example, by using a mixture of phosphor powder and inorganic powder as a raw material by the method disclosed in JP 2018-172628 A, or by melting and cooling the mixture of phosphor powder and inorganic powder using a spark plasma sintering method (SPS method). The SPS method supplies a pulsed large current at a low voltage to a powder mixture of phosphor powder and inorganic powder, and melts the inorganic powder by the high energy of the discharge plasma generated by the spark discharge phenomenon.

[0016] The phosphor powder used was a yellow-emitting YAG phosphor ((Y,Lu,Gd)3(Al,Ga)5O 12 Examples of suitable phosphor powders include (K2(Si,Ti,Ge,Al)F6:Mn) powder, which emits green light, fluoride-based phosphor powder (K2(Si,Ti,Ge,Al)F6:Mn) powder, which emits red light, and nitride-based phosphor (e.g., (Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu) powder. As an example, the above-mentioned YAG phosphor powder can be used as the phosphor powder. Such phosphor powder may be composed of one type or multiple types. As an example of inorganic powder, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) can be used. When the above-mentioned YAG phosphor powder is used as the phosphor powder and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is used as the inorganic powder, a plate-shaped sintered body can be obtained by the above-mentioned sintering method.

[0017] (Process for holding plate-shaped wavelength conversion member) As shown in Fig. 1, a prepared plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A is held on a holder 10A. Specifically, the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A is held on the holder 10A with wax 20A. As the wax 20A, a material that is solid at room temperature, insoluble in water, and softens when heated can be selected. The wax is an ester of a higher fatty acid and a monohydric or dihydric higher alcohol, and can be, for example, wax.

[0018] (Cutting process for plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) As shown in FIG. 1, after holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A, as shown in FIG. 2, a cutting process is performed on the held plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A. Specifically, cutting is performed on the front main surface 31A of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A using a cutting tool 40A to form a wavelength conversion member block 50A having cylindrical precursors 51A of the wavelength conversion member at a predetermined interval. By this cutting process, a wavelength conversion member block 50A is formed that is composed of the cylindrical precursors 51A of the wavelength conversion member and a body portion 55A of the wavelength conversion member that is continuous with the precursors 51A. In the first embodiment, the cylindrical precursors 51A of the wavelength conversion member are circular in plan view, and the central axis is perpendicular to the main surface 56A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A.

[0019] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the cutting process includes at least two of rough machining and finish machining. Specifically, in a first stage, rough machining is performed on plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A using first cutting tool 41A to form a convex portion corresponding to precursor 51A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member. First cutting tool 41A preferably has a grain size of #200 to 1000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #400 can be used. The side surface of roughly machined cylindrical precursor 51A of the wavelength conversion member has an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 8 µm or more and 20 µm or less.

[0020] The arithmetic mean roughness Rz mentioned here refers to the roughness Rz specified in JIS B0601. In other words, Rz is calculated by taking only a reference length from the roughness curve in the direction of the mean line, measuring from the mean line of this taken portion in the direction of the longitudinal magnification, calculating the sum of the average value of the absolute values ​​of the elevations (Yp) of the five highest peaks and the average value of the absolute values ​​of the elevations (Yv) of the five lowest valleys, and expressing this value in micrometers (μm) (see JIS B0601:1994).

[0021] Next, in the second stage, a finish process is performed on the surface of precursor 51A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member formed by the above-mentioned rough processing using second cutting tool 42A. As second cutting tool 42A, one having a grain size of #2500 to 5000 is preferable, and for example, an electroplated tool of #3000 can be used. In this way, it is possible to obtain precursor 52A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member having the desired dimensions and an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 2 μm or more and less than 8 μm. The area to be finished is, for example, the surface of precursor 51A including at least side surface 51Aa of precursor 51A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member formed by the rough processing.

[0022] By the above-mentioned at least two cutting processes, a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member is formed by rough processing in the first stage, and then the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member is finished to have the desired dimensions, specifically the desired diameter dimensions, in the second stage, so that the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member can be easily formed to the desired dimensions compared to the case where only one cutting process is performed. In particular, when at least two cylindrical precursors of the wavelength conversion member are formed, the variation in the dimensions of each of the cylindrical precursors of the wavelength conversion member can be reduced. Furthermore, by the at least two cutting processes, the surface roughness of the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range.

[0023] The cutting process using the first cutting tool 41A and the second cutting tool 42B can be performed based on information such as cutting timing, cutting area, cutting path, and the type of cutting tool to be used, which are determined / controlled in advance on a computer. Specifically, a numerically controlled (NC) machine tool or an equivalent (hereinafter referred to as an NC machine tool, etc.) is used, and numerical information converted from information obtained by computer processing into a program is used to command the NC machine tool, etc. This allows the operation of a cutting tool (electroplated tool, etc.) used as the NC machine tool, etc. to be suitably controlled.

[0024] Although not particularly limited, the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 51A upon completion of rough processing may be, for example, 350 μm to 1000 μm, for example, 450 μm, and the diameter may be, for example, 190 μm to 300 μm, for example, 200 μm. Furthermore, the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A after finishing processing may be, for example, 350 μm to 1000 μm, for example, 450 μm, and the diameter may be, for example, 50 μm to 190 μm, for example, 160 μm.

[0025] (Wavelength conversion member block inversion process) After the finished wavelength conversion member block 50A is formed, as shown in Fig. 3, the wavelength conversion member block 50A is temporarily removed from the wax 20A and turned upside down, and is then attached again to the wax 20A so that the precursor 52A of the wavelength conversion member is embedded in the wax 20A. Specifically, (1) the wavelength conversion member block 50A is separated from the wax 20A, (2) the wavelength conversion member block 50A is turned upside down, (3) the wax 20A is heated and softened, and the cylindrical precursor 52A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A is placed facing the wax 20A with the back main surface 56A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A facing up, and (4) the wavelength conversion member block 50A is pressed to attach the wavelength conversion member block 50A again to the wax 20A so that the cylindrical precursor 52A of the wavelength conversion member is embedded in the wax 20A.

[0026] (Grinding process of wavelength conversion material block) After the wavelength conversion member block 50A is turned over, a grinding process is performed on the wavelength conversion member block 50A. In the first embodiment, the body portion 55A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A is removed by the grinding process.

[0027] Specifically, first, a grinding process is performed on the back main surface 56A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A using a first grinding member 81A as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The first grinding member 81A preferably has a grain size of #200 to 1000, and for example, a #600 diamond grindstone is used, and the grinding process is performed under conditions of a grindstone rotation speed of 500 to 1000 rpm.

[0028] By removing the body portion 55A of the wavelength conversion member block 50A by the grinding process, the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A can be separated while being embedded in the wax 20A. This makes it possible to expose a part of the surface (corresponding to the upper surface) of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A embedded in the wax 20A. In the first embodiment, the part of the surface of the precursor 52A exposed to the upper surface of the wax 20A is one end surface of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A. The height of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A at this time can be, for example, 350 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, for example, 450 μm.

[0029] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, a grinding process is performed in a state where wax 20A and precursor 52A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member are integrated together, so that precursor 52A of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member has a predetermined height. In this embodiment, as an example, a case where a two-stage grinding process is performed as shown below is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more stages of grinding process can be performed.

[0030] Specifically, in a state where wax 20A and cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A are integrated, grinding processing is performed using second grinding member 82A. The second grinding member 82A is preferably one having a grain size of #1500 to 3000, and for example, a diamond grindstone of #2000 is used, and grinding processing is performed under the condition of a grindstone rotation speed of 500 to 1000 rpm. By this grinding processing, as shown in FIG. 5, a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 53A, which is lower in height than cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A shown in FIG. 4, can be obtained in a state where wax 20A is integrated. The height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 53A can be, for example, 200 μm or more and less than 350 μm, for example, 150 μm.

[0031] Next, in a state where wax 20A and precursor 53A of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member are integrated, grinding processing is performed using third grinding member 83A. As third grinding member 83A, one having a grain size of #5000 to 15000 is preferable, and for example, a diamond grindstone of #10000 is used, and grinding processing is performed under the condition of a grindstone rotation speed of 500 to 1000 rpm. By this grinding processing, as shown in FIG. 6, in a state where wax 20A is integrated, a cylindrical precursor 54A of a wavelength conversion member having a lower height than precursor 53A of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member shown in FIG. 5 can be obtained. The height of precursor 54A of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member can be, for example, 50 μm or more and less than 150 μm, for example, 100 μm.

[0032] (Step of singulating precursor of cylindrical wavelength conversion member) Finally, the wax is melted by heating the wax to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the wax using a hot plate or the like, and the wax adhering to the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54A is removed. This causes the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54A shown in Fig. 6 to be divided into individual pieces as shown in Fig. 7, thereby finally obtaining the cylindrical wavelength conversion member 60A.

[0033] As described above, the manufacturing method of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the first embodiment performs cutting processing including at least two processes, rough processing and finish processing, in the cutting processing step. This makes it easier to cut the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor contained in the wavelength conversion member block to the desired dimensions compared to the case where only one cutting processing step is performed. As a result, the cylindrical wavelength conversion member finally obtained through the above-mentioned singulation step can have high dimensional accuracy.

[0034] In addition, by performing at least two cutting steps, the surface roughness of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range. Therefore, the surface roughness of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member finally obtained through the above-mentioned singulation process can also be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range. Furthermore, according to this feature, when forming at least two cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursors in the cutting process, the dimensional variation of each cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor can be reduced. As a result, the dimensional variation of each cylindrical wavelength conversion member finally obtained through the above-mentioned singulation process can be reduced.

[0035] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, body portion 55A of wavelength conversion member block 50A is removed and the height of wavelength conversion member precursor 52A is adjusted in a state where wavelength conversion member precursor 52A after the outer periphery has been machined is embedded in wax 20A. This makes it possible to prevent chipping or damage to wavelength conversion member precursor 52A during cutting, and maintains high shape accuracy of the outer dimensions of wavelength conversion member precursor 52A.

[0036] EMBODIMENT 2 Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. Embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that, particularly in the cutting processing step, after a part of the precursor of the wavelength conversion member and a body portion are formed, the body portion is removed to form the remaining part of the precursor, thereby forming a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member whose central axis is parallel to the main surface.

[0037] (Preparation process of plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) First, a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B is prepared as shown in Fig. 8. The plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B to be prepared is the same as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A in the first embodiment described above.

[0038] (Process for holding plate-shaped wavelength conversion member) After plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B is prepared, as shown in FIG. 8, plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B is held by holder 10B with wax 20B.

[0039] (Cutting process for plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) After holding the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B, as shown in FIG. 9, a cutting tool 40B is used to cut the front main surface 31B of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B shown in FIG. 8, thereby forming a wavelength conversion member block 50B. Specifically, the cutting tool 40B is used to cut the front main surface 31B of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A so that approximately semicircular portions 51B are formed at a predetermined interval when viewed in cross section. This cutting process can form a wavelength conversion member block 50B composed of the approximately semicircular portions 51B when viewed in cross section and a body portion 55B of the wavelength conversion member. The central axis of this approximately semicircular portion 51B is parallel to the main surface (corresponding to the back main surface 57B in FIG. 9) of the wavelength conversion member block 50B to be formed.

[0040] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 9, the cutting process includes at least two processes, rough processing and finish processing. Specifically, in the first stage, rough processing is performed on plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30B using first cutting tool 41B to form approximately semicircular portion 51B. The first cutting tool 41B preferably has a grain size of #200 to 1000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #400 can be used. The surface of the approximately semicircular portion subjected to rough processing shown in Fig. 9 may have an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 8 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0041] Next, in the second stage, the surface of the approximately semicircular portion 51B is subjected to a finishing process using the second cutting tool 42B. The second cutting tool 42B preferably has a grain size of #2500 to #5000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #3000 can be used. This makes it possible to obtain the approximately semicircular portion 52B having the desired dimensions and an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 2 μm to 8 μm. The area to be finished is at least a part of the surface of the approximately semicircular portion 51B formed by rough machining.

[0042] By using a cutting process that includes at least two such processes, a precursor of an approximately semicircular wavelength conversion member is formed by rough machining in a first stage, and then this approximately semicircular precursor of the wavelength conversion member is finish-machined to the desired dimensions in a second stage. This makes it easier to obtain a precursor of a wavelength conversion member that is approximately semicircular in cross section with the desired dimensions compared to a case where only a single cutting process is performed.

[0043] (Wavelength conversion member block inversion process) The wavelength conversion member block 50B including the approximately semicircular portion 52B that has been subjected to the finishing process in the cutting process is once separated from the wax 20B and turned upside down, and is then reattached to the wax 20B so that the approximately semicircular portion 52B is embedded in the wax 20B, as shown in Fig. 10. Specifically, (1) the wavelength conversion member block 50B is separated from the wax 20B, (2) the wavelength conversion member block 50B is turned upside down, (3) the wax 20B is heated and softened, and the rear main surface 57B of the wavelength conversion member block 50B is turned upside down so that the approximately semicircular portion 52B faces the wax 20B, and (4) the wavelength conversion member block 50B is pressed to reattach the wavelength conversion member block 50B to the wax 20B so that the approximately semicircular portion 52B is embedded in the wax 20B.

[0044] (Cutting process for wavelength conversion material block) After the wavelength conversion member block 50B is inverted, as shown in FIG. 11, a cutting process is performed on the inverted wavelength conversion member block 50B. In the second embodiment, this cutting process obtains a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 53B integrated with the wax 20B as a whole. Specifically, a cutting process is performed using a cutting tool 40B on the main surface of the wavelength conversion member block 50B (corresponding to the surface that was the back surface 57B before inversion) to form a substantially semicircular portion 58B that becomes a circle in cross section together with the substantially semicircular portion 52B. That is, the remaining portion 58B that becomes the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor is formed from the body portion 55B of the wavelength conversion member, and the excess body portion 55B of the wavelength conversion member is removed. Here, at least two cutting processes, rough processing and finishing processing, are performed as the cutting process, as in the process shown in FIG. 9. This cutting process makes it easier to form the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor to the desired dimensions, specifically, the desired diameter dimensions, compared to the case where only one cutting process is performed.

[0045] Approximately semicircular portion 58B is formed so that the central axis of the semicircle approximately coincides with that of approximately semicircular portion 52B that is finish-machined before inversion. By this cutting process, a cylindrical precursor 53B of the wavelength conversion member can be obtained in a state integrated with wax 20B. This cylindrical precursor 53B of the wavelength conversion member has a circular shape in cross section, and its central axis is parallel to the main surface of holder 10B.

[0046] (Step of singulating precursor of cylindrical wavelength conversion member) With wax 20B and cylindrical wavelength converting member precursor 53B integrated together, the wax is melted by heating at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the wax, and the wax is removed from cylindrical wavelength converting member precursor 53B, thereby obtaining a plurality of cylindrical wavelength converting member precursors 54B.

[0047] (Diameter adjustment process of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor) Furthermore, in order to adjust the diameter of finished cylindrical precursor 53B of the wavelength conversion member, a grinding process can be performed using grinding member 70B. That is, as shown in Fig. 12, grinding process can be performed on cylindrical precursor 53B of the wavelength conversion member so that precursor 53B of the wavelength conversion member has a predetermined dimension.

[0048] In the diameter adjustment step, for example, grinding member 70B having a grain size of #200 to 1000, for example, a diamond grindstone of #600, is used, and grinding processing is performed under the condition of a grindstone rotation speed of 500 to 1000 rpm. Regardless of the presence or absence of this diameter adjustment step, similarly to the first embodiment, the final diameter of cylindrical precursor 53B of wavelength conversion member is preferably, for example, 50 μm to 190 μm, for example, 160 μm.

[0049] (Cutting process of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor) Finally, as shown in Fig. 13, cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54B is cut to a predetermined height by dicing with dicing member 90B. Specifically, cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54B is diced so that cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54B has a predetermined height. This allows cylindrical wavelength conversion member 60B having the predetermined height to be obtained.

[0050] As described above, in the manufacturing method of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the second embodiment, at least two cutting processes, rough processing and finish processing, are performed in the cutting processing step. This makes it easier to make the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member have the desired dimensions compared to the case where only one cutting process is performed. As a result, the finally obtained cylindrical wavelength conversion member can have high dimensional accuracy. Furthermore, by performing at least two cutting processes, the surface roughness of the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range. Therefore, the surface roughness of the finally obtained cylindrical wavelength conversion member can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range.

[0051] EMBODIMENT 3 Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 3 differs from embodiments 1 and 2 in that a holder with an insertion hole, which will be described below, is used as the holder.

[0052] (Preparation process of plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) First, a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30C is prepared as shown in Fig. 14. In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of work efficiency, a wavelength conversion member 30αC having a rectangular prism shape is prepared by cutting with a dicing member as shown in Fig. 14. The plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30C is the same as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 30A and 30B in the first and second embodiments.

[0053] (Process for holding plate-shaped wavelength conversion member) As shown in FIG. 15, the prepared wavelength conversion member 30αC is held on a holder 10αC.

[0054] (Cutting process for plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) After wavelength conversion member 30αC is held, cutting processing is performed on held wavelength conversion member 30αC, as shown in Fig. 16. Specifically, cutting processing is performed on front main surface 31αC of wavelength conversion member 30αC using cutting tool 40C to form wavelength conversion member block 50C including a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 51C.

[0055] This cutting process forms wavelength conversion member block 50C composed of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 51C and wavelength conversion member body portion 55C. In the third embodiment, this cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 51C is circular in plan view, and its central axis is perpendicular to the main surface of wavelength conversion member block 50C.

[0056] The cutting process includes at least two cutting processes, namely, rough cutting and finishing. Specifically, in the first stage, a first cutting tool is used to roughly cut plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30αC to form cylindrical precursor 51C of the wavelength conversion member. The first cutting tool preferably has a grain size of #200 to #1000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #400 can be used. The side surface of cylindrical precursor 51C of the wavelength conversion member that has been roughly cut as shown in FIG. 16 may have an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 8 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0057] Next, in the second stage, a finish process is performed on the surface of precursor 51C of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member formed by the rough processing using a second cutting tool. The second cutting tool preferably has a grain size of #2500 to #5000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #3000 can be used. This makes it possible to obtain precursor 52C of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member having a desired diameter dimension and an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 2 μm or more and 8 μm or less. The area to be finished is the surface of precursor 52C including at least side surface 51Ca of precursor 51C of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member formed by the rough processing.

[0058] It should be noted that cutting tool 40C (including the above-mentioned first cutting tool and the above-mentioned second cutting tool) is moved in the moving direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 16, and a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member obtained by both rough processing and finish processing is indicated by reference symbol 52C. On the other hand, a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member that has been subjected to rough processing but not finish processing is indicated by reference symbol 51C at the end of the moving direction of cutting tool 40C.

[0059] As in embodiment 1, the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 51C that has been roughly processed is preferably 350 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, for example 450 μm, and the diameter of the circle is preferably 190 μm or more and 300 μm or less, for example 200 μm. Also, the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52C that has been finished is preferably 350 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, for example 450 μm, and the diameter of the circle is preferably 50 μm or more and 190 μm or less, for example 160 μm.

[0060] (Preparation process of holder with insertion hole) As shown in FIG. 17, a holder 10C having an insertion hole 11C formed therein is prepared for inserting a cylindrical precursor 52C of a wavelength conversion member. In this embodiment, the insertion hole 11C is formed so that a cylindrical precursor 52C of a wavelength conversion member can be inserted in a state where a plurality of cylindrical precursors 51C of a wavelength conversion member are integrated with a body portion 55C to form a wavelength conversion member block 50C. The inner diameter of the insertion hole 11C has a diameter dimension that allows the cylindrical precursor 52C of a wavelength conversion member that has been subjected to finishing processing to be inserted. Although not shown in FIG. 17, wax can be applied to an upper surface 10Ca of the holder 10C with an insertion hole so as to cover the surface of the insertion hole 11C.

[0061] (Step of holding wavelength conversion member block on holder with insertion hole) The wavelength conversion member block is held by a holder with an insertion hole. For example, after preparation of a holder 10C with an insertion hole 11C as shown in Fig. 17, a wavelength conversion member block 50C that has been subjected to finishing processing is turned upside down as shown in Fig. 18. Specifically, the wavelength conversion member block 50C is turned upside down so that a back main surface 56C of the wavelength conversion member block 50C is oriented upward.

[0062] The upside-down wavelength conversion member block 50C is aligned so that a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52C directly faces an insertion hole 11C of a holder 10C with an insertion hole, as shown in Fig. 18. Thereafter, the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52C that has been finished is inserted into the insertion hole 11C.

[0063] A cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength converting member is inserted into the insertion hole 11C so that an end surface 52Ca of the cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength converting member abuts against a bottom 11Ca of the insertion hole 11C. This causes the wavelength converting member block 50C to be held by the holder 10C with the insertion hole, as shown in FIG.

[0064] (Grinding process of wavelength conversion material block) After the wavelength conversion material block 50C is held by the holder 10C with the insertion hole, a grinding process is performed on the wavelength conversion material block 50C, as shown in Fig. 20, Fig. 21(a) and Fig. 21(b). In the third embodiment, this grinding process removes the body portion 55C of the wavelength conversion material block 50C, leaving behind a cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength conversion material. Note that in Fig. 21, it is preferable that wax 20C is also disposed in the insertion hole 11C to facilitate the insertion of the cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength conversion material into the insertion hole 11C.

[0065] Specifically, first, a grinding process is performed using a grinding member 80C on the main surface corresponding to the back main surface 56C of the wavelength conversion member block 50C as shown in Fig. 20. For example, the grinding member 80C preferably has a grain size of #200 to 1000, and for example, a diamond grindstone of #600 is used, and the grinding process is performed under conditions of a grindstone rotation speed of 500 to 1000 rpm.

[0066] This grinding process removes body portion 55C of wavelength conversion member block 50C. As a result, a cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength conversion member can be obtained in a state where it is inserted into insertion hole 11C of holder 10C with insertion hole. An end face of cylindrical precursor 52C of wavelength conversion member is exposed on the ground surface. In the third embodiment, the exposed end face of precursor 52C becomes one end face of precursor 52C of cylindrical wavelength conversion member finally obtained. In this case, the height of precursor 52C of cylindrical wavelength conversion member is preferably 350 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, and can be, for example, 450 μm.

[0067] Next, cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength conversion member shown in Figure 21(b) is subjected to at least two stages of grinding processing together with a part of holder 10C with an insertion hole, in the same manner as described above, so that cylindrical precursor 52C of the wavelength conversion member shown in Figure 21(b) becomes cylindrical precursor 54C of the wavelength conversion member having a predetermined height, as shown in Figures 21(c) and (d).

[0068] Specifically, the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52C before grinding is in the range of 350 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, for example 450 μm, whereas the height of cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 54C after grinding can be in the range of 50 μm or more and 150 μm or less, for example 100 μm.

[0069] (Step of singulating the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member) Finally, as shown in Fig. 22, cylindrical precursor 54C of wavelength converting member is taken out from insertion hole 11C of holder 10C with insertion hole. For example, if wax is used to facilitate insertion, the wax is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the wax using a hot plate or the like, and cylindrical precursor 54C of wavelength converting member is taken out from insertion hole 11C. In this manner, cylindrical wavelength converting member 60C can be obtained.

[0070] As described above, in the manufacturing method of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the third embodiment, at least two cutting processes, rough processing and finish processing, are performed in the cutting processing step, thereby forming a wavelength conversion member block including a precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member. Therefore, compared with the case where only one cutting processing is performed, it is easier to form the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor to the desired dimensions. As a result, the finally obtained cylindrical wavelength conversion member can have high dimensional accuracy.

[0071] In the above embodiments 1 to 3, a cutting process including two processes, rough machining and finishing machining, has been described. However, in order to further reduce the arithmetic mean roughness Rz, a semi-finishing process can also be added between the rough machining and finishing machining.

[0072] <Method of manufacturing ring-shaped wavelength conversion member> EMBODIMENT 4 Next, a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Although not shown, wax may be present between the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member and the substrate.

[0073] (Preparation process of plate-shaped wavelength conversion material) First, a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is prepared as shown in Fig. 23. The plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A to be prepared is the same as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A in the first embodiment described above.

[0074] (Process for holding plate-shaped wavelength conversion member) The prepared plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is held on a base material 110A, as shown in Fig. 23. Here, the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is preferably held on the base material 110A with wax. The base material 110A can be a glass base material.

[0075] (Formation process of precursor of ring-shaped wavelength conversion member) After holding the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A, a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different inner diameter dimensions within the cutting process range, are performed on the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A to form a precursor of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member. That is, the first cutting process is performed by grinding to form one of the outer circumference or the inner circumference of the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member, and then the second cutting process is performed by grinding to form the other of the inner circumference or the outer circumference.

[0076] In the following description, the first cutting process is performed by grinding to form the outer periphery of the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member, and the second cutting process is performed by grinding to form the inner periphery of the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member. Here, as described below, the first cutting process and the second cutting process each include at least two cutting processes, i.e., rough cutting and finishing.

[0077] This cutting process including at least two stages makes it easier to cut the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member into the desired dimensions compared to a cutting process performed in only one stage. Also, as described below, the cutting process in at least two stages makes it easier to control the surface roughness of the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member to be within a predetermined range.

[0078] In addition, in the following explanation, (1) rough machining of the first cutting process, (2) rough machining of the second cutting process, (3) finishing machining of the first cutting process, and (4) finishing machining of the second cutting process will be explained in that order, but this embodiment is not limited to this order.

[0079] Hereinafter, the process of forming the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, as shown in FIG. 23, the outer peripheral surface of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is roughly machined by a first cutting process. Specifically, the side surface 131A (corresponding to the outer edge) of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is roughly machined into a substantially circular shape in a plan view using a first cutting tool 141A. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, the side surface 131A of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A is roughly machined by moving the first cutting tool 141A in the direction of the arrow while rotating it so as to draw a substantially circular trajectory. As a result, as shown in FIG. 24, a first disk-shaped (or circular) wavelength conversion member 150A is formed. As the first cutting tool 141A, a tool with a grain size of #200 to #1000 is preferable, and for example, an electroplating tool with a grain size of #400 can be used. In this specification, the term "disc-shaped" refers to a tool with an outer periphery that includes not only a perfect circle but also an ellipse.

[0080] After the formation of first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member 150A, first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member 150A is subjected to rough processing as a second cutting process. Specifically, in the second cutting process rough processing as shown in Fig. 25, first cutting tool 141A is moved in the direction of the arrow so as to draw a trajectory that is concentric with the trajectory of first cutting tool 141A during the first cutting process and has a smaller inner diameter, thereby processing wavelength conversion member 150A into a ring shape.

[0081] This makes it possible to obtain precursor 160A of the wavelength conversion member that is ring-shaped when viewed from above. In this embodiment, precursor 160A of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member obtained by rough processing can have outer surface 161A and inner surface 162A with arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 8 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0082] After the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor 160A is formed, a first cutting process is performed to finish the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor 160A. Specifically, the second cutting tool 142A is moved so as to draw a substantially circular trajectory, and the outer surface 161A (i.e., the outer edge) of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor 160A is finished. The second cutting tool 142A preferably has a grain size of #2500 to #5000, and for example, an electroplated tool of #3000 can be used. By this finishing process, a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor 170A having a small arithmetic mean roughness Rz of the outer surface can be obtained as shown in FIG. 26.

[0083] After formation of ring-shaped precursor 170A of wavelength converting member, a second cutting process is performed to finish the inner circumferential surface of precursor 170A of ring-shaped wavelength converting member. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 27, second cutting tool 142A is moved in the direction of the arrow so as to draw a substantially circular trajectory along the inner circumferential surface of precursor 170A, and finish processing is performed on inner surface 172A of precursor 170A of ring-shaped wavelength converting member shown in Fig. 26.

[0084] By such a finishing process, a ring-shaped precursor 180A of the wavelength conversion member having a small arithmetic mean roughness Rz of the inner surface can be obtained. In this embodiment, the ring-shaped precursor 180A of the wavelength conversion member obtained by the finishing process can have outer surface 181A and inner surface 182A with arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 2 μm or more and 8 μm or less. In other words, by performing the finishing process in addition to the roughing process, it becomes easier to control the surface roughness of the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member to be within a predetermined range.

[0085] (Removal process of precursor of ring-shaped wavelength conversion member) Finally, precursor 180A of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member shown in Fig. 27 is removed from substrate 110A. Through the above steps, it is possible to obtain ring-shaped wavelength conversion member 190A having the desired outer and inner diameter dimensions, as shown in Fig. 28. As shown in Fig. 24 to Fig. 28, in the first cutting process and the second cutting process, the cutting process is performed so that the tips of first cutting tool 141A and second cutting tool 142A come into contact with the surface of substrate 110A. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 28, when precursor 180A of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member is removed from substrate 110A, grooves along the trajectories passed by the tips of first cutting tool 141A and second cutting tool 142A are formed in the surface of substrate 110A in the shape of concentric rings in plan view. By performing the cutting process so that the tips of first cutting tool 141A and second cutting tool 142A come into contact with the surface of substrate 110A and cut a part of the surface of substrate 110A, burrs that may occur on the side of precursor 180A of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can be suppressed.

[0086] As described above, the manufacturing method of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member of the fourth embodiment includes at least two cutting steps, each of which is a rough cut and a finish cut. This makes it easier to cut the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member to the desired dimensions compared to a case where only one cutting step is performed. As a result, the final ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can be made to have high dimensional accuracy.

[0087] Furthermore, by carrying out at least two cutting stages, the surface roughness of the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range, and therefore the surface roughness of the final ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can also be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range.

[0088] A semi-finishing process may be further performed between the roughing and finishing processes in the first cutting process and the second cutting process of embodiment 4. By further performing a semi-finishing process between the roughing and finishing processes, the dimensions of the finally obtained ring-shaped wavelength conversion member can be more easily made to be desired, and the surface roughness can be more easily controlled to be within a predetermined range.

[0089] EMBODIMENT 5 Hereinafter, a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 5 differs from embodiment 4 in that a cutting process is performed on a laminate consisting of at least two plate-shaped wavelength conversion members. This makes it possible to efficiently produce a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member having a final desired dimension.

[0090] In the following, the same content as that described in the section on the manufacturing method of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member of the fourth embodiment will be simplified or omitted to avoid duplication.

[0091] (Preparation process of at least two plate-shaped wavelength conversion members) First, at least two plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C are prepared. The plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C to be prepared are the same as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 30A described in the section on the manufacturing method of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] (Step of holding stack of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members) As shown in Fig. 29, at least two prepared plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C are laminated on base material 110C to form stack 130αC. This allows stack 130αC of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members to be held on base material 110C. Note that wax 120C is preferably disposed between base material 110C and plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C and between the plurality of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C.

[0093] (Formation process of precursor of ring-shaped wavelength conversion member) After the wavelength conversion material laminate 130αC is held, a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are approximately concentric and have different diameter dimensions, are each performed in an approximately circumferential shape on the plate-shaped wavelength conversion material laminate 130αC to form a precursor of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion material laminate.

[0094] In the fifth embodiment, a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member can be finally formed through the following steps: In the fifth embodiment, a first cutting process is performed to form a portion that forms the outer surface of the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member laminate, and then a second cutting process is performed to form a portion that forms the inner surface of the ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member laminate.

[0095] First, the first cutting process is performed on the held stack 130αC of wavelength conversion members. Specifically, the side surface 131αC of the stack 130αC of wavelength conversion members shown in FIG. 29 is roughly processed at once using a cutting tool 140C (specifically, corresponding to the first cutting tool 141A of the fourth embodiment). By this rough processing, as shown in FIG. 29, a first disk-shaped (or circular) stack 150αC of wavelength conversion members as shown in FIG. 30 can be formed, which has a flattened side surface in which the uneven shape formed by the side surfaces of each of the stacked plate-shaped wavelength conversion members 130C is flattened. The first disk-shaped stack 150αC of wavelength conversion members can be composed of two or more first disk-shaped wavelength conversion members 150C. The "first disk-shaped stack 150αC of wavelength conversion members" has a cylindrical shape as a whole.

[0096] A second cutting process is performed on the first disc-shaped laminate 150αC of the wavelength conversion members as a rough cutting process. This second cutting process can be performed on the side surface of the first disc-shaped laminate 150αC of the wavelength conversion members all at once. This is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency because two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members can also be obtained all at once.

[0097] The following describes a case where the second cutting process is performed on the first disc-shaped laminate 150αC of the wavelength conversion member all at once. Specifically, after the formation of the first disc-shaped laminate 150αC of the wavelength conversion member, the laminate 150αC is subjected to rough machining as the second cutting process all at once. Specifically, the first cutting tool is operated so as to draw a substantially concentric and small radial path based on the path of the first cutting tool during the first cutting process.

[0098] This allows a second disk-shaped laminate of wavelength converting members having a diameter smaller than that of the first disk-shaped laminate of wavelength converting members 150αC to be formed from the first circular laminate of wavelength converting members 150αC. As a result, a precursor 160αC of a ring-shaped wavelength converting member laminate can be obtained as shown in Fig. 31. In this embodiment, the precursor 160αC of a ring-shaped wavelength converting member laminate obtained by rough processing can have an outer surface 161αC and an inner surface 162αC with an arithmetic mean roughness Rz of 8 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0099] After the formation of precursor 160αC of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate, similarly to embodiment 4, finishing is performed as a first cutting process and a second cutting process on precursor 160αC of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate. Specifically, using a cutting tool corresponding to second cutting tool 142A of embodiment 4, finishing is performed collectively in a substantially circumferential shape on outer surface 161αC and inner surface 162αC of precursor 160αC of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate shown in Fig. 31. By such a collectively finishing process, a precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate having small arithmetic mean roughness Rz of the outer surface and inner surface can be obtained.

[0100] (Removal process of precursor of ring-shaped wavelength conversion member) After the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate precursor is formed after finishing processing, the wax is heated at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the wax to melt and remove it. As a result, the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate precursor is removed from the base material 110C as shown in Fig. 32, and then the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor, which is a component of the laminate precursor, is separated into individual pieces. As a result of the above, two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members can be finally formed.

[0101] As described above, in the manufacturing method of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member of the fifth embodiment, a cutting process including at least two processes, rough processing and finish processing, is performed on the "laminate" of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member in the cutting process step. This allows two or more precursors of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member having the desired dimensions to be formed at once. As a result, two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members having the final desired dimensions can be formed at once. By performing at least two cutting steps, the surface roughness of the precursors of the two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range, and therefore the surface roughness of the two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members finally obtained can be easily controlled to be within a predetermined range.

[0102] EMBODIMENT 6 Hereinafter, a method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to embodiment 7 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 6 differs from embodiment 4 in that a relatively thick plate-shaped wavelength conversion member is cut and then sliced. As a result, two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members having desired dimensions can be finally formed from one relatively thick plate-shaped wavelength conversion member.

[0103] In the following, the same content as that described in the section on the manufacturing method of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member of the fourth embodiment will be simplified or omitted to avoid duplication.

[0104] (Preparation process of cylindrical wavelength conversion material) First, a cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D is prepared as a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member having a relatively large thickness. The cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D to be prepared is made of the same material as the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A described in the section on the manufacturing method of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the first embodiment of the present invention, but is different in that it is thicker than the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 30A. Note that the same parts as those described in the section on the manufacturing method of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member of the first embodiment of the present invention will be omitted to avoid duplication of content.

[0105] (Step of holding cylindrical wavelength conversion member) Next, as shown in FIG. 33, the prepared cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D is held on the base material 110D via wax 120D.

[0106] (Cutting process for cylindrical wavelength conversion member) After holding cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D, a first rough cutting process and a second rough cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different diameters, are each performed on cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D in a substantially circumferential shape, as shown in Figures 34 and 35. Note that, needless to say, a cutting tool for collectively grinding at least two ring-shaped wavelength conversion members has an effective blade length longer than that of a cutting tool used when cutting a single plate-shaped wavelength conversion member or a first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member.

[0107] First, a first rough cutting process is performed on the held cylindrical wavelength conversion member 130D. By this rough cutting process, a first cylindrical wavelength conversion member 150D can be formed as shown in FIG.

[0108] First cylindrical wavelength conversion member 150D is subjected to a second rough cutting process, thereby obtaining a cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 160D (corresponding to a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member precursor having a relatively large thickness) as shown in Fig. 35 .

[0109] As in embodiment 4, a cylindrical precursor 160D of the wavelength conversion member is subjected to a first finishing cutting process and a second finishing cutting process. This makes it possible to obtain a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member having a small arithmetic mean roughness Rz on the outer surface and inner surface.

[0110] (Slicing process of cylindrical wavelength conversion material precursor) A cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member is sliced. As an example of the slice process, a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member having a large thickness dimension is cut using a dicing device along a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction. By this slice process, at least two ring-shaped wavelength conversion members 170D can be finally obtained, as shown in FIG.

[0111] As described above, the manufacturing method of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member of embodiment 6 includes the features of performing a cutting process including at least two of rough processing and finish processing on a cylindrical wavelength conversion member in a cutting processing step, and performing a slicing process on the obtained precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member.

[0112] This allows a precursor of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member having desired dimensions to be formed from a cylindrical wavelength conversion member. Therefore, by subjecting this precursor to a slicing process, two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members having desired dimensions can finally be formed. Furthermore, such at least two-stage cutting process makes it easier to control the surface roughness of the precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member obtained from one plate-shaped wavelength conversion member having a relatively large thickness to be within a predetermined range. Therefore, by subjecting this precursor to a slicing process, it is easier to control the surface roughness of two or more ring-shaped wavelength conversion members finally obtained to be within a predetermined range.

[0113] It is preferable to determine the thickness of the cylindrical wavelength converting member 160D in advance, taking into consideration the thickness dimension and the number of slices of the finally obtained ring-shaped wavelength converting member 170D, i.e., the number of ring-shaped wavelength converting members 170D. By determining the thickness of the cylindrical wavelength converting member 160D in advance, it becomes possible to efficiently produce two or more ring-shaped wavelength converting members 170D that are finally obtained.

[0114] Finally, in any of the fourth to sixth embodiments, it is preferable to co-cut a part of the base material during the first cutting process and the second cutting process. In this specification, the term "co-cutting" refers to a process in which a cutting tool is used to cut both the side surface of a plate-like wavelength conversion member or the like and the base material holding the wavelength conversion member.

[0115] Taking the fourth embodiment as an example, first cutting tool 141A and second cutting tool 142A are used to perform cutting processing on the side surfaces of plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 130A, first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member 150A, etc., held on substrate 110A. If the effective blade portion (or neck portion) of the cutting tool cannot be brought into contact with the region extending from the upper end to the lower end of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member, an uncut portion of the wavelength conversion member may be generated at the lower end side of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member, and the lower end side of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member may have a flared shape.

[0116] Therefore, by cutting a part of the base material 110A that holds the wavelength conversion member together with the wavelength conversion member during cutting processing of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member, the tip of the cutting tool (corresponding to the non-effective blade part) can be inserted into the part of the base material 110A that holds the wavelength conversion member. This allows the effective blade part (or the neck part) of the cutting tool excluding the tip to come into contact with the region from the top to the bottom of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member.

[0117] As a result, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of uncut portions on the side surface of the wavelength conversion member when using a cutting tool. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shape of the lower end side of the side surface of the wavelength conversion member from becoming a flared shape, and therefore it is possible to make the side surface shape of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member obtained after cutting into a desired shape. From the viewpoint of being able to cut a part of the substrate as well, it is preferable to use a glass substrate as the substrate as described above.

[0118] The cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member obtained by the above manufacturing method can be combined with at least a light-emitting element to obtain a light-emitting device. Specifically, the cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member is arranged so as to face the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element to obtain a light-emitting device. With this configuration, the wavelength conversion member can absorb the light emitted from the light-emitting element and convert it into light of a different wavelength. In addition, unevenness in the chromaticity of the light distribution can be reduced by providing an uneven shape by etching on the light-emitting surface side of the obtained cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member.

[0119] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto and that various modifications can be made. [Industrial Applicability]

[0120] The cylindrical or ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to this embodiment can be suitably used in projectors, medical equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 10A, 10B, 10C holding body 110A, 110B, 110C, 110D base material 20A, 20B, 20C, 120C, 120D Wax 30A, 30B, 30C, 130A, 130B, 130C, 130D Plate-shaped wavelength conversion member 40A, 40B, 40C, 140C, 140D cutting tools 41A, 41B, 141A, 142B First cutting tool 42A, 42B, 142A, 142B Second cutting tool 50A, 50B, 50C Wavelength conversion material block 51A, 51B, 51C Cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor 52A, 52B, 52C Cylindrical wavelength conversion material precursor 53A, 53B, 53C Cylindrical wavelength conversion material precursor 54A, 54B, 54C Cylindrical wavelength conversion material precursor 60A, 60B, 60C Cylindrical wavelength conversion material 70B Grinding material 140αD Effective cutting edge of cutting tool (or neck part) 140βD Non-effective cutting edge part (or non-under-neck part) of cutting tool 150A, 150B, 150C, 150D First disk-shaped wavelength conversion member 160A, 160B, 160D, 170A, 170B, 180A, 180B, 190B, 160αC Precursor of ring-shaped wavelength conversion member laminate 170C, 170D, 190A Ring-shaped wavelength conversion member 200B Ring-shaped wavelength conversion material precursor

Claims

1. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder; a step of performing a cutting process on the held plate-like wavelength conversion member to form a wavelength conversion member block including a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member and a body portion of the wavelength conversion member continuous with the precursor; separating the cylindrical wavelength converting material precursor and the body portion from each other after forming the wavelength converting material block; A step of singulating the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; Including, The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member, in which the cutting process includes at least two of rough processing and finish processing.

2. The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to claim 1 , wherein separation of the body portion and the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member is performed by a grinding process using a grinding member.

3. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder; a step of performing a cutting process on the held plate-like wavelength conversion member to form a wavelength conversion member block including a part of a precursor of a cylindrical wavelength conversion member and a body part; forming a cylindrical wavelength converting member precursor by forming a remaining portion of the precursor on the body portion and removing the body portion; A step of singulating the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; Including, The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member, in which the cutting process includes at least two of rough processing and finish processing.

4. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder on which wax is arranged; a step of performing a cutting process on both a front main surface and a back main surface of the held plate-like wavelength conversion member to form a wavelength conversion member block including a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member integrated with the wax; removing the wax to separate the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; Including, The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member, in which the cutting process includes at least two of rough processing and finish processing.

5. 5. The method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to claim 4, further comprising dicing the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member, the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member being separated by removing the wax, so that the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member has a predetermined height.

6. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a holder on which wax is arranged; a step of performing a cutting process on a front main surface of the held plate-like wavelength conversion member to form a wavelength conversion member block including a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member integrated with the wax; a step of performing a grinding process on a back main surface of the obtained wavelength conversion block to form a cylindrical precursor of a wavelength conversion member having a central axis perpendicular to the main surface of the holder; removing the wax to separate the cylindrical wavelength conversion member precursor; Including, The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member, in which the cutting process includes at least two of rough processing and finish processing.

7. A method for manufacturing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member as described in claim 6, further comprising forming a wavelength conversion member block consisting of a cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member integrated with the wax by the cutting processing and a body portion of the wavelength conversion member continuous with the precursor, and separating the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member and the body portion from each other after forming the wavelength conversion member block.

8. 7. The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to claim 6, wherein a grinding process is performed while the wax and the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member are integrated together, so that the precursor of the cylindrical wavelength conversion member has a predetermined height.

9. 9. The method for producing a cylindrical wavelength conversion member according to claim 4, further comprising: subjecting the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member from which the wax has been removed to a grinding process so that the cylindrical precursor of the wavelength conversion member has a predetermined diameter dimension.

10. A step of holding a stack of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members, in which a plurality of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members are stacked, on a substrate; a step of forming a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member by collectively performing a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different diameters, in a substantially circumferential shape on the held laminate of the plate-shaped wavelength conversion members; Including, The manufacturing method of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member, wherein the first cutting process and the second cutting process each include at least two of rough cutting and finish cutting.

11. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a substrate; a step of forming a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member by subjecting the held plate-shaped wavelength conversion member to a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different diameters, in a substantially circumferential shape; Including, In the first cutting process and the second cutting process, a cutting process including at least two of rough cutting and finishing is performed, A method for manufacturing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member, wherein a part of the base material is co-cut during at least one of the first cutting process or the second cutting process.

12. A step of holding a plate-shaped wavelength conversion member on a glass substrate; a step of forming a ring-shaped precursor of the wavelength conversion member by subjecting the held plate-shaped wavelength conversion member to a first cutting process and a second cutting process, which are substantially concentric and have different diameters, in a substantially circumferential shape; Including, The manufacturing method of a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member, wherein the first cutting process and the second cutting process each include at least two of rough cutting and finish cutting.

13. 13. The method for manufacturing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the plate-shaped wavelength conversion member is subjected to the first cutting process to form a first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member, and then the first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member is subjected to the second cutting process to form a second disk-shaped wavelength conversion member having a diameter dimension smaller than a diameter dimension of the first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member from the first disk-shaped wavelength conversion member.

14. The method for producing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to claim 10 , further comprising slicing a precursor of the ring-shaped wavelength conversion member to obtain a plurality of ring-shaped wavelength conversion members.

15. 11. The method for manufacturing a ring-shaped wavelength conversion member according to claim 10, wherein the first cutting process is performed collectively on a side surface of the stack of plate-shaped wavelength conversion members to form a stack of at least two first disk-shaped wavelength conversion members, and the second cutting process is performed on the stack of first disk-shaped wavelength conversion members to obtain at least two ring-shaped wavelength conversion members.

16. The method for producing a wavelength conversion member according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of: performing a semi-finishing process between the roughing process and the finishing process.

17. The method for producing a wavelength conversion member according to claim 1 , wherein the wavelength conversion member comprises a YAG phosphor.

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