Phosphor wheel, light source device, and projection image display device

Abstract

This phosphor wheel comprises: a rotatable substrate; a plurality of wavelength conversion layers disposed on the substrate, and formed by disposing, adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction around the rotation center of the substrate, a first sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles for wavelength-converting excitation light into light of a first wavelength and a second sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles for wavelength-converting the excitation light into light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; and an adhesion layer provided between the substrate and the plurality of wavelength conversion layers. At a boundary at which the first sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer are adjacent to each other, the first sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer has, at an end in the circumferential direction, a portion that is not in contact with an end in the circumferential direction of the second sintered body-type wavelength conversion layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a phosphor wheel, a light source device, and a projection type video display device, which are used, for example, in a light source device of a projection type video display device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional phosphor wheels using a fluorescent layer (wavelength conversion layer) have included a method consisting only of a so-called mixed layer type wavelength conversion layer in which phosphor particles are dispersed and applied in a resin paste, and a method consisting only of a sintered body type wavelength conversion layer made of a sintered body of phosphor particles.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the former phosphor wheel using a mixed layer type wavelength conversion layer, there are many selectable fluorescence wavelengths and it is excellent in cost, but it has problems in conversion efficiency and heat resistance. On the other hand, in the phosphor wheel using a sintered body type wavelength conversion layer, it is excellent in conversion efficiency and heat resistance, but cost is an issue.

[0005] Also, when using a plurality of sintered body type wavelength conversion layers adjacent to each other, when bonding each sintered body type wavelength conversion layer to a substrate, pins for alignment between the sintered body type wavelength conversion layers adjacent to each other cannot be arranged, and alignment is difficult.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a phosphor wheel capable of alignment between a first and a second sintered body type wavelength conversion layers adjacent to each other and having excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance.

[0007] The phosphor wheel according to this disclosure comprises a rotatable substrate, a plurality of wavelength conversion layers arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation center of the substrate, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that wavelength conversion excitation light to light of a first wavelength, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that wavelength conversion excitation light to light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and an adhesive layer provided between the substrate and the plurality of wavelength conversion layers, wherein at the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer has a portion at its circumferential end that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to this disclosure includes the steps of: applying an adhesive layer to a substrate; arranging a first sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a first wavelength, and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, adjacent to each other on the substrate; and curing the adhesive layer to fix the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers to the substrate, wherein in the step of arranging the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers, at the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer is arranged such that its circumferential end has a portion that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0009] The phosphor wheel according to this disclosure has first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers adjacent to each other. This makes it possible to obtain excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing each step in the manufacturing method of the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3]In the flowchart of the phosphor wheel manufacturing method shown in Figure 2, (a) is a plan view from the back of the substrate showing the substrate on which the adhesive layer is provided, (b) is a front view showing the state in which the first sintered wavelength conversion layer is aligned with the adhesive base for attachment to the substrate in (a), (c) is a front view showing the state in which the second sintered wavelength conversion layer is aligned adjacent to the first sintered wavelength conversion layer, and (d) is a schematic plan view showing the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers aligned on the adhesive base in (c) and arranged adjacent to each other. [Figure 4] This is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 6] This is a schematic plan view showing the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers, which are aligned on a bonding base and arranged adjacent to each other, in a method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 7] This is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the configuration of the light source device according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 9] This figure shows the configuration of a projection-type image display device equipped with a light source device according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the configuration of the light source device according to Embodiment 6. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the configuration of a projection-type image display device equipped with a light source device according to Embodiment 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The phosphor wheel according to the first aspect includes a rotatable substrate, a first sintered wavelength conversion layer disposed on the substrate and having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that convert excitation light into light of a first wavelength, and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that convert excitation light into light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. A plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation center of the substrate, and an adhesive layer is provided between the substrate and the plurality of wavelength conversion layers. At the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer has a portion that does not contact the circumferential end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer at the circumferential end.

[0012] The phosphor wheel according to the second aspect is, in the first aspect, the non-contact portion may be a notch provided at the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0013] The phosphor wheel according to the third aspect is, in the first or second aspect, the non-contact portion may be a missing portion provided on at least one of the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0014] The phosphor wheel according to the fourth aspect is, in any one of the first to third aspects, at the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, at least one of the inner diameter and the outer diameter from the rotation center of the substrate may be different from each other.

[0015] The phosphor wheel according to the fifth aspect is, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, at the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the radial widths centered on the rotation center of the substrate may be different from each other.

[0016] In the phosphor wheel according to the sixth aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the end face of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layer at the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer extends inward from the portion contacting the end face of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer on the inner peripheral side, and the end face of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer at the end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer extends outward from the portion contacting the end face of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layer on the outer peripheral side.

[0017] In the phosphor wheel according to the seventh aspect, in any of the first to sixth aspects, an adhesive layer is exposed between a portion where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer is not in contact and the end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0018] In the phosphor wheel according to the eighth aspect, in any of the first to seventh aspects, the phosphor wheel may have an opening on the same circumference around the rotation center of the substrate on which the plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged.

[0019] In the phosphor wheel according to the ninth aspect, in any of the first to seventh aspects, the phosphor wheel may have a reflection region on the same circumference around the rotation center of the substrate on which the plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged.

[0020] The light source device according to the tenth aspect includes the phosphor wheel according to any of the first to ninth aspects.

[0021] The projection type video display device according to the eleventh aspect includes the light source device according to the tenth aspect.

[0022] A method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to the twelfth embodiment includes the steps of: applying an adhesive layer to a substrate; arranging on the substrate adjacent to each other: a first sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a first wavelength; and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; and curing the adhesive layer to fix the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers to the substrate, wherein in the step of arranging the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers, at the boundary where the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer is arranged such that its circumferential end has a portion that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer.

[0023] In the 13th embodiment of the method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel, in the step of arranging the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers, guide pins for alignment may be provided adjacent to areas that are not in contact, and the substrate and the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers may be moved relative to each other along the guide pins in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, thereby arranging the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers at the areas on the substrate where the adhesive layer has been applied.

[0024] The embodiments will be described in detail below, with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical components may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art. Also, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0025] The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable a person skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0026] (Embodiment 1) [1-1 Configuration of the phosphor wheel] The configuration of the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 will be described in detail below. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 1, the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 comprises a rotatable substrate 201, a plurality of wavelength conversion layers including first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b, and an adhesive layer 202 provided between the substrate 201 and the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, 205b. The first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b are composed of sintered bodies of first wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-convert excitation light to light of a first wavelength. The second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b are composed of sintered bodies of second wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-convert excitation light to light of a second wavelength. The first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. At the adjacent boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b, each has a portion at its circumferential end that is not in contact with the other circumferential end.

[0027] This phosphor wheel 2 has adjacent first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b, and therefore has excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance.

[0028] The following describes each component that makes up this phosphor wheel 2.

[0029] <Circuit board> The substrate 201 may be, for example, an aluminum substrate with excellent heat dissipation properties. However, the substrate 201 is not limited to aluminum and may be made of other metals. It may also be a transparent substrate such as glass or sapphire, or a transparent substrate such as glass or sapphire with a reflective region. The substrate 201 is provided with motor mounting holes 208 for attaching a motor for rotation. Alternatively, the motor may be attached by a method other than the motor mounting holes 208.

[0030] <Wavelength conversion layer> The wavelength conversion layer comprises a first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a, 204b and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, 205b. These first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, 205b are arranged on the substrate 201 on the same circumference from the rotation center of the substrate 201. The same circumference may also have openings 206a, 206b. There may be one or more openings. Alternatively, as shown in Embodiment 2 described later, a reflective region may be provided instead of an opening. The first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b are adjacent to each other on the same circumference. At the other end, they may be adjacent with openings 206a, 206b in between.

[0031] The first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b have a substantially annular shape with a constant thickness and have a front surface and a back surface that are parallel to the surface of the substrate 201 and face each other, an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface that connect the front surface and the back surface and are perpendicular to the radial direction, and two end surfaces that connect the front surface and the back surface and are parallel to the radial direction and perpendicular to the front surface and the back surface. Except for the areas that are not in contact as described above, one end surface of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b is in contact with one end surface of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b.

[0032] Furthermore, if the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b overlap, problems may occur, such as the absence of an adhesive layer beneath one of the sintered wavelength conversion layers. Therefore, they may be placed adjacent to each other with a small gap between them.

[0033] <First and second sintered wavelength conversion layers> The first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b are composed of sintered bodies of first wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-convert excitation light to light of a first wavelength.

[0034] <First wavelength conversion particle> The first wavelength-converting particle is a so-called phosphor particle, which may be, for example, a particle with a garnet structure. The chemical formula of the above garnet structure is, for example, Y3Al5O, which wavelength-converts blue excitation light to yellow fluorescence. 12 For example, Lu3Al5O, which converts blue excitation light to green fluorescence. 12 It may also be (Y,Lu)3Al5O, which is a mixture of these. 12 The activator may be, for example, Ce or Gd. Alternatively, it may be a particle that converts blue excitation light into fluorescence other than the aforementioned yellow or green.

[0035] The second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b are composed of sintered bodies of second wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-convert excitation light to light of a second wavelength.

[0036] <Second wavelength conversion particle> The second wavelength-converting particle is a so-called phosphor particle, and may, for example, be a garnet-structured particle, similar to the first wavelength-converting particle. The chemical formula of the above garnet structure is, for example, Y3Al5O, which wavelength-converts blue excitation light to yellow fluorescence. 12 For example, Lu3Al5O, which converts blue excitation light to green fluorescence. 12 It may also be a mixture of them ((Y,Lu)3Al5O 12 The activator may be, for example, Ce or Gd. Alternatively, it may be a particle that converts blue excitation light into fluorescence other than the aforementioned yellow or green.

[0037] By changing the structure, composition, etc., the first and second wavelengths converted in the first and second wavelength conversion particles can be varied in various ways.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 is characterized in that the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b do not touch at the adjacent boundary between their respective ends. Here, "ends not touching" means that there are areas where at least a portion of each end near the boundary does not touch. Furthermore, the "areas not touching" may be, for example, notches 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d as shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the "areas not touching" may be chamfered, such as a C-cut or a beveled cut. The chamfering may include not only straight lines but also curves. The shape of the ends may be convex, concave, polygonal, circular, or elliptical, for example. The shape of these ends is such that a guide pin can be set in the gap defined between the two adjacent ends at the boundary. Guide pins are used for aligning the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b to the substrate.

[0039] In the phosphor wheel 2 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b have notches 10a and 10c at the edges of the boundary adjacent to the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b have notches 10b and 10d at the edges of the boundary adjacent to the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b. The notches 10a and 10c are provided on the outer circumference of the edges of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b, and the notches 10b and 10d are provided on the inner circumference of the edges of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b. On the other hand, in the phosphor wheel 2 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, notches are not provided on the inner circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a, 204b and on the outer circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, 205b.

[0040] Specifically, the end faces of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b extend inward from the point where they are in contact with the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b on the inner circumference side, and the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b extend outward from the point where they are in contact with the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b on the outer circumference side. In other words, notches 10a and 10c face the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b that are facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b at their ends, and notches 10b and 10d face the end faces of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b that are facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b at their ends. The end faces at the adjacent boundaries of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a and 205b are substantially in contact with each other, except for notches 10a, 10c, 10b and 10d and the portions facing them (non-contact areas).

[0041] As will be described in detail later, guide pins used for aligning the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b in the manufacturing process of the phosphor wheel 2 are positioned in the notches 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d. In other words, at the boundary where the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b are adjacent, the guide pins are positioned on the outer circumference of the ends of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 204b, and on the inner circumference of the ends of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a and 205b. Also, since the notches 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are not in contact with the end faces of the opposing sintered wavelength conversion layers, the adhesive layer 202 is exposed at those locations.

[0042] Furthermore, the two ends near the boundary only need to have a portion where they are not in contact with each other, at least on either the inner diameter side or the outer diameter side. The first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b may have a linear boundary on the side opposite to the side that is adjacent to each other.

[0043] With the above configuration, when the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b are attached to the substrate adjacent to each other, guide pins can also be placed at the boundary between them. This ensures that the alignment of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 205a, 205b is reliable. As a result, a phosphor wheel with excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance can be obtained.

[0044] <Opening> There may be one or more openings. If openings 206a and 206b are provided, the excitation light will pass through openings 206a and 206b, so blue light will be used as the excitation light.

[0045] <Method for manufacturing phosphor wheels> Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1. The method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1 includes the following steps.

[0046] (1) Apply an adhesive layer to the substrate (S01). The adhesive layer may be a mixed layer of a heat-resistant resin such as silicone or silsesquioxane filled with high-reflectivity particles. In this case, it will also function as a reflective layer. Alternatively, it may be a mixed layer of a heat-resistant resin such as silicone or silsesquioxane filled with high-thermal-conductivity particles. In this case, it will also function as a thermal-conducting layer. In this case, it has the effect of suppressing the temperature rise of the phosphor layer. Alternatively, both high-reflectivity and high-thermal-conductivity particles may be mixed, or a heat-resistant resin such as silicone or silsesquioxane without any particles may be used.

[0047] (2) A first sintered wavelength conversion layer, consisting of a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a first wavelength, and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer, consisting of a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that converts excitation light to light of a second wavelength, are arranged adjacent to each other on the substrate (S02). The arrangement of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer will be described later.

[0048] (3) The adhesive layer is cured to fix the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers to the substrate (S03).

[0049] Through the above steps, a phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1 is obtained.

[0050] <Step of placing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer on the substrate> Figure 3 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method for the phosphor wheel shown in Figure 2, where (a) is a plan view from the back of the substrate showing the substrate on which the adhesive layer is provided, (b) is a front view showing the state in which the first sintered wavelength conversion layer is aligned with the adhesive base for attachment to the substrate in (a), (c) is a front view showing the state in which the second sintered wavelength conversion layer is aligned adjacent to the first sintered wavelength conversion layer, and (d) is a schematic plan view showing the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers aligned on the adhesive base in (c) and arranged adjacent to each other.The first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a will be described below, but the same applies to the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204b and 205b.

[0051] In the step of arranging the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, guide pins 211, 212a, 212b, and 212c are used to align the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a with the substrate 201. The substrate 201 is held apart from the mounting base 210 by the guide pins 211 which pass through the motor mounting holes 208. At this time, the substrate 201 is positioned so that the adhesive layer 202 faces the mounting base 210.

[0052] Meanwhile, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a are aligned on the mounting base 210. A guide pin 212a is positioned at the left end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a so as to penetrate the opening 206a of the substrate 201. Similarly, a guide pin 212c is positioned at the right end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a so as to penetrate the opening 206a of the substrate 201. Although Figure 3 shows the case where there are two guide pins 212a and 212c, it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 6 later, there may be one, or there may be two or more. Two guide pins 212b are positioned at the boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a. These guide pins 212b are positioned in the notches 10a and 10b at the boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, as shown in Figure 3(d). The height of the guide pins 212b may be lower than the height of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, for example, by several tens of micrometers, as shown in Figures 3(b) and (c).

[0053] The first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a are manufactured to dimensions with a certain tolerance relative to the design value. In the arrangement of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a, if the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a are manufactured to larger dimensions than the design value, an overlap will occur between the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a. Conversely, if the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a are manufactured to smaller dimensions than the design value, a gap will occur between the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a.

[0054] Therefore, in the phosphor wheel 2 of Embodiment 1, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a is manufactured with dimensions that do not exceed the design value, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a is manufactured with dimensions that do not exceed the design value. Furthermore, the guide pin 212b positioned in the notch 10a is located on the outer circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a because the notch 10a is located on the outer circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a (Figure 1), and is not located on the outer circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a. Similarly, the guide pin 212b positioned in the notch 10b is located on the inner circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a because the notch 10b is located on the inner circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a (Figure 1), and is not located on the inner circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a.

[0055] Since the guide pin 212b is not located on the inner circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a, it is possible to slide the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a, which is manufactured to dimensions that do not exceed the design value, toward the inner circumference side (in the direction shown by arrow A in Figure 3) according to the difference from the design value. Conversely, since the guide pin 212b is not located on the outer circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, which is manufactured to dimensions that do not exceed the design value, is possible to slide the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a toward the outer circumference side (in the direction shown by arrow B in Figure 3) according to the difference from the design value. Therefore, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a is aligned by being guided by the two guide pins 212a and the guide pin 212b located on the inner circumference side, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a is aligned by being guided by the two guide pins 212c and the guide pin 212b located on the outer circumference side. This makes it possible to align the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a, which are manufactured with dimensions having a certain tolerance, without any gaps using guide pins 212a, 212b, and 212c.

[0056] The process of placing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a on the substrate 201 is performed by relatively moving the substrate 201 with the adhesive layer 202 (Figure 3(a)) and the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a (Figure 3(d)), which are aligned on the mounting base 210, in the Z direction. Specifically, the substrate 201 with the adhesive layer 202 (Figure 3(a)) is moved toward the mounting base 210 along the guide pins 211, thereby attaching the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a to the adhesive layer 202 on the substrate 201.

[0057] The guide pin 212a at the left end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a is positioned to penetrate the opening 206a of the substrate 201, while the guide pin 212c at the right end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a is positioned to penetrate the opening 206b of the substrate 201. They are positioned so as to sandwich the area where the second sintered wavelength conversion layer is provided. Furthermore, the height of the guide pin 212b at the boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a is lower than the heights of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a, for example, by several tens of micrometers. Therefore, even when the substrate 201 and the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a are moved relative to each other in the Z direction, the guide pins 212b can be prevented from contacting the substrate 201. This ensures reliable alignment of the adjacent first sintered wavelength conversion layer 204a and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a. Alternatively, holes may be provided in the substrate 201 at positions corresponding to the guide pins 212b. This allows the height of the guide pins 212b to be higher than the heights of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a and 205a.

[0058] Therefore, this phosphor wheel manufacturing method allows for the formation of multiple adjacent sintered wavelength conversion layers. This makes it possible to obtain excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance.

[0059] (Embodiment 2) [1-2 Configuration of the phosphor wheel] The configuration of the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 will be described in detail below. Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the planar configuration of the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2. In the following description, we will describe the novel elements of the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 in comparison to the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1, and will omit the explanation of the components described in Figure 1.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4, the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 differs from the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 in that it has reflective regions 213a and 213b instead of openings 206a and 206b. The reflective regions 213a and 213b directly reflect the excitation light.

[0061] The reflective regions 213a and 213b are provided in substantially the same positions as the openings 206a and 206b of the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1, but are not limited to this. Also, the reflective regions 213a and 213b are not limited to two; there may be one or two or more.

[0062] When a reflective region is provided instead of an aperture in this way, all light is obtained as reflected light. Therefore, there is no need to consider an optical circuit for photosynthesis with the reflected light after changing the wavelength of the excitation light that has passed through the aperture.

[0063] (Embodiment 3) [1-3 Phosphor Wheel Configuration] The configuration of the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3 will be described in detail below. Figure 5 is a schematic plan view showing the plan configuration of the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3. In the following description, we will describe the novel elements of the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3 in comparison to the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1, and will omit the explanation of the components described in Figure 1.

[0064] As shown in Figure 5, the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3 differs from the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1 in that, instead of notches, the inner diameters R1, r1 and outer diameters R2, r2 of each layer are made different at the boundaries between the adjacent first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b, and step portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are provided at the boundaries between the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b, respectively. For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, R1 <r1、R2<r2となっている。

[0065] The first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b, 215a, and 215b have a substantially annular shape with a constant thickness and have a front surface and a back surface that are parallel to the surface of the substrate 201 and face each other, an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface that connect the front surface and the back surface and are perpendicular to the radial direction, and two end surfaces that connect the front surface and the back surface and are parallel to the radial direction and perpendicular to the front surface and the back surface. Except for the stepped portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, one end surface of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b is in contact with one end surface of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b.

[0066] In the phosphor wheel 2b, as shown in Figure 5, at the adjacent boundaries of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b, 215a, and 215b, the inner diameter R1 of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, 214b is smaller than the inner diameter r1 of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, 215b. Therefore, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, 214b has portions on the inner circumference side of its end that are not in contact with the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, 215b. Furthermore, the outer diameter r2 of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, 215b is larger than the outer diameter R2 of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, 214b. Therefore, the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, 215b has portions on the outer circumference side of its end that are not in contact with the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, 215b. Furthermore, the end faces of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b that face the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b extend inward from the point where they are in contact with the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b that face the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b on the inner circumference side, and the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b that face the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b that face the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b extend outward from the point where they are in contact with the end faces of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b on the outer circumference side. The end faces at adjacent boundaries of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b, 215a, and 215b are substantially in contact with each other, except for the extended portions (non-contacting portions). The stepped portions 20a and 20c are formed by the portion of the end face of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a and 215b that extends outward from the end face facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a and 214b and the outer circumferential surface of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a and 214b. The stepped portions 20b and 20d are formed by the portion of the end face of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a and 214b that extends inward from the end face facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a and 215b and the inner circumferential surface of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a and 215b.

[0067] In Figure 5, the inner diameters R1, r1 and outer diameters R2, r2 of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b are all different, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b may each have at least one of their inner diameters R1, r1 and outer diameters R2, r2 from the rotation center of the substrate different from each other.

[0068] Furthermore, the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b may have the same radial width from the rotation center of the substrate 201 at their adjacent boundaries. Alternatively, they may have different radial widths. For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the radial width (r2-r1) of the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a and 215b is substantially the same as the radial width (R2-R1) of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 214b.

[0069] By setting any of the above conditions, at least one set of radial positions (r1, r2, R1, R2) between the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b and the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b can be made different. This allows guide pins to be placed at the stepped portions 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d between the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer, radially offset from the location where the second sintered wavelength conversion layer is provided, during the manufacturing of the phosphor wheel. This ensures that the alignment of the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b, 215a, 215b when they are bonded to the substrate can be reliably achieved.

[0070] Therefore, this phosphor wheel manufacturing method allows for the formation of multiple adjacent sintered wavelength conversion layers. This makes it possible to obtain excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance.

[0071] <Step of placing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer on the substrate> Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 215a, which are aligned on the adhesive base 210 and arranged adjacent to each other, in the method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 3. The first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 215a will be described below, but the same applies to the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214b and 215b.

[0072] In the phosphor wheel 2b of Embodiment 3, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a is manufactured with dimensions that do not exceed the design value, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a is manufactured with dimensions that do not exceed the design value. Furthermore, the guide pins 212b placed on the stepped portion 20a are located on the outer circumferential side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, because the stepped portion 20a is located on the outer circumferential side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, and not on the outer circumferential side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a. Similarly, the guide pins 212b placed on the stepped portion 20b are located on the inner circumferential side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, because the stepped portion 20b is located on the inner circumferential side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, and not on the inner circumferential side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a.

[0073] Since the guide pin 212b is not located on the inner circumference side of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a, which is manufactured to dimensions that do not exceed the design value, can be slid toward the inner circumference side (in the direction shown by arrow A in Figure 6) according to the difference from the design value. Conversely, since the guide pin 212b is not located on the outer circumference side of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a, which is manufactured to dimensions that do not exceed the design value, can be slid toward the outer circumference side (in the direction shown by arrow B in Figure 6) according to the difference from the design value. Therefore, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer 214a is aligned by being guided by the guide pin 212a and the guide pin 212b located on the inner circumference side, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer 215a is aligned by being guided by the guide pin 212c and the guide pin 212b located on the outer circumference side. This makes it possible to align the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a and 215a, which are manufactured with dimensions having a certain tolerance relative to the design value, without any gaps using guide pins 212a, 212b, and 212c.

[0074] Figure 6 differs from Figure 3 in that there is only one guide pin each for guide pins 212a and 212c. Thus, guide pins 212a and 212c may each be one or three or more, but they are usually implemented with two or one.

[0075] Furthermore, since guide pins 212b can be placed on the stepped portions 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d provided at the boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b, the alignment of the first sintered wavelength conversion layers 214a, 214b and the second sintered wavelength conversion layers 215a, 215b can be reliably performed.

[0076] (Embodiment 4) [1-4 Configuration of the phosphor wheel] The configuration of the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4 will be described in detail below. Figure 7 is a schematic plan view showing the plan configuration of the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4. In the following description, we will describe the novel elements of the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4 in comparison to the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3, and will omit the explanation of the components described in Figure 5.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4 differs from the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3 in that it has reflective regions 213a and 213b instead of openings 206a and 206b. The reflective regions 213a and 213b directly reflect the excitation light.

[0078] The reflective regions 213a and 213b are provided in substantially the same positions as the openings 206a and 206b of the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3, but are not limited to this. Also, the reflective regions 213a and 213b are not limited to two; there may be one or more.

[0079] When a reflective region is provided instead of an aperture in this way, all light is obtained as reflected light. Therefore, there is no need to consider an optical circuit for photosynthesis with the reflected light after changing the wavelength of the excitation light that has passed through the aperture.

[0080] (Embodiment 5) [2-1 Light source device] The details of the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5 will be described below. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5. This light source device 11 uses the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1. Therefore, the explanation will be given using the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0081] Blue wavelength laser light emitted from multiple laser light sources 1101 is collimated by multiple collimator lenses 1102, each of which is provided in relation to a specific laser light source 1101. The collimated blue light is then incident on a subsequent convex lens 1103, reducing its beam width, and is then incident on a subsequent diffuser plate 1104, where it is diffused and the uniformity of the light is improved. The blue light with improved uniformity is then incident on a subsequent concave lens 1105, where it is made into a parallel beam.

[0082] The blue light, which has been parallelized by the concave lens 1105, enters the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106, which is positioned at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis, changing the direction of light propagation by 90 degrees before entering the subsequent convex lens 1107. The color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 has spectral characteristics that reflect light in the wavelength range of blue light emitted from the laser light source 1101, and allow light in the wavelength range of fluorescence, which is the excitation light blue light emitted from the laser light source 1101 that has been wavelength-converted by the phosphor wheel 2 described later, to pass through.

[0083] In this example, the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 is assumed to have spectral characteristics that focus on the wavelength characteristics of blue light from a laser light source and the wavelength-converted fluorescence. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, it may have spectral characteristics that focus on polarization and wavelength. Specifically, the polarization direction of the blue light from the laser light source may be adjusted to the same direction, focusing on the polarization direction of the laser light source. This may result in spectral characteristics that focus on polarization and wavelength, such that it reflects light in the blue wavelength range and polarization direction from the laser light source and transmits light in the wavelength range of the wavelength-converted fluorescence.

[0084] The blue light incident on the convex lens 1107, in combination with the subsequent convex lens 1108, is incident on the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, 205b and the apertures 206a, 206b, which are located on the same radius and provided on the subsequent phosphor wheel 2.

[0085] A motor 309 is provided in the phosphor wheel 2. The blue excitation light, focused by convex lenses 1107 and 1108, is incident on the same radial region from the rotation center where the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b and the apertures 206a and 206b are located, with the rotation axis of the motor 309 as the central axis.

[0086] First, the blue light focused onto the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b of the phosphor wheel 2 by the convex lenses 1107 and 1108 is wavelength-converted to fluorescence, and its direction of propagation is changed by 180 degrees. It is then incident on the convex lenses 1108 and 1107 in that order, and the light is made into a parallel beam. The fluorescence wavelength-converted by the phosphor wheel 2 is combined with the blue light emitted from the laser light source 1101 to optimize the wavelength range so that it constitutes, for example, white light.

[0087] The fluorescence, which is emitted from the convex lens 1107 and converted into a parallel beam, is then incident again on the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106. As mentioned above, the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 has the characteristic of transmitting light in the wavelength range of fluorescence and is positioned at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis, so it transmits the fluorescence without changing its direction of propagation.

[0088] Next, the blue light from the laser light source 1101, focused at the apertures 206a and 206b of the phosphor wheel 2, passes through the phosphor wheel 2 and is then parallelized by the convex lenses 1121 and 1122 in the subsequent stage. Subsequently, a relay system consisting of three mirrors 1123, 1125, and 1127 and three convex lenses 1124, 1126, and 1128, located in the subsequent stage, guides the light to the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 so that it is parallelized and incident from a direction 180 degrees opposite to the direction in which the light from the laser light source 1101 is incident.

[0089] In this example, a relay optical system was constructed using three mirrors and three convex lenses, but other configurations may be used as long as they provide similar performance.

[0090] Since the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 has the property of reflecting blue light from the laser light source 1101, the blue light incident on the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 from the convex lens 1128 is reflected with its direction of propagation changed by 90 degrees.

[0091] In this way, with the above configuration, the fluorescence and blue light that are time-resolved and combined by the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 are incident on the convex lens 1109, which is the subsequent optical system.

[0092] The time-resolved fluorescence and blue light incident on the convex lens 1109 from the color separation and synthesis mirror 1106 are focused by the convex lens 1109 near the incident end of the rod integrator 1111, which will be described later. The light emitted from the convex lens 1109 is incident on the color-filtered wheel 1110 before it is incident on the rod integrator 1111. The color-filtered wheel 1110 is synchronized with the phosphor wheel 2 using a synchronization circuit (not shown), and is composed of multiple filters with spectral characteristics that transmit some or all wavelengths of blue light and fluorescence, in accordance with the characteristics of the optical system.

[0093] The color-filtered wheel 1110 has a region that transmits the wavelength range of the yellow fluorescence from the phosphor wheel 2 as is, a region that transmits the wavelength range of the green fluorescence from the phosphor wheel 2 as is, a region that reflects the green wavelength light and transmits the red wavelength light within the yellow fluorescence from the phosphor wheel 2, and a region that transmits the blue wavelength light that passes through the apertures 206a and 206b from the phosphor wheel 2 as is. As the phosphor wheel 2 and the color-filtered wheel 1110 rotate in synchronously, light with different wavelength ranges is focused in a time series near the incident end of the rod integrator 1111. Note that the configuration of the color-filtered wheel is not limited to the above configuration and may be changed as appropriate according to the specifications of the phosphor wheel, light source device, and projection-type image display device.

[0094] Light of different wavelengths, incident on the rod integrator 1111, is homogenized by the rod integrator and emitted from the output end. In the explanation in Figure 8, the wheel with a color filter 1110 is placed near the incident side of the rod integrator, but it may also be placed near the output side.

[0095] <Effects> In the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5, the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 is used, and excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance can be obtained. Alternatively, the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3 may be used instead of the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1.

[0096] [3-1 Projection-type image display device] The details of the projection-type image display device 14 equipped with the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5 will be described below. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the projection-type image display device 14 employing the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5.

[0097] As the configuration of the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5 has been described above, its explanation will be omitted here, and a detailed explanation will be given regarding the behavior of the light after it is emitted from the rod integrator 1111.

[0098] The light emitted from the rod integrator 1111 is mapped to the DMD 1421, which will be described later, by a relay lens system consisting of convex lenses 1401, 1402, and 1403.

[0099] Light that passes through convex lenses 1401, 1402, and 1403 and enters the total internal reflection prism 1411 enters the minute gap 1412 of the total internal reflection prism 1411 at an angle greater than the total internal reflection angle, and is reflected, thereby changing the direction of light propagation and entering the DMD 1421.

[0100] The DMD1421 changes the direction of a minute mirror in response to a signal from a video circuit (not shown), in sync with the colored light emitted by the combination of the phosphor wheel 2 and the color filter wheel 1110, and emits the light with the direction of propagation changed accordingly. The light whose direction of propagation has been changed in the DMD1421 in response to the video signal is incident on the minute gap 1412 of the total internal reflection prism 1411 at an angle less than or equal to the total internal reflection angle, passes through it, is incident on the projection lens 1431, and is projected onto a screen (not shown).

[0101] <Effects> In the projection-type image display device 14 using the light source device 11 according to Embodiment 5, the phosphor wheel 2 according to Embodiment 1 (or the phosphor wheel 2b according to Embodiment 3) is used, and excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance can be obtained.

[0102] (Embodiment 6) [2-2 Light source device] The details of the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6 will be described below. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6. This light source device 12 uses the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2. Therefore, the explanation will be given using the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 4.

[0103] Blue wavelength laser light emitted from multiple laser light sources 1201 is collimated by multiple collimator lenses 1202, each of which is provided in conjunction with a separate laser light source 1201. The collimated blue light is then incident on a subsequent convex lens 1203, reducing its beam width, and then incident on a subsequent diffuser plate 1204 where it is diffused, improving the uniformity of the light. The blue light, whose uniformity has been improved by the diffuser plate 1204, is then incident on a subsequent concave lens 1205, where it is made into a parallel beam.

[0104] Furthermore, with the concave lens 1205 emitted, the optical system up to the concave lens 1205 is adjusted so that the polarization direction of the laser light becomes S-polarization with respect to the polarization and color separation / combination mirror 1206, which will be described later.

[0105] The blue light, which has been parallelized by the concave lens 1205, is incident on the polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206, which is positioned at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis, changing the direction of light propagation by 90 degrees before being incident on the subsequent λ / 4 wave plate 1207. The polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206 has spectral characteristics such that it reflects S-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the laser light source 1201, and also passes P-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the laser light source 1201 and light in the fluorescence wavelength range, which is the blue light that is the excitation light from the laser light source 1201, wavelength-converted by the phosphor wheel 2a described later.

[0106] The polarization direction of the blue light from the laser light source 1201 incident on the λ / 4 wave plate 1207 is rotated to change it to circularly polarized light.

[0107] Light emitted from the λ / 4 wave plate 1207 is incident on the convex lens 1208 and, in combination with the subsequent convex lens 1209, is incident on the reflection regions 213a and 213b provided on the subsequent phosphor wheel 2a, and on the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b. The phosphor wheel 2a is equipped with a motor 409, and around its axis of rotation, the blue excitation light focused by the convex lenses 1208 and 1209 is arranged to be incident on the reflection regions 213a and 213b and the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b.

[0108] First, the blue light focused onto the first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers 204a, 204b, 205a, and 205b of the phosphor wheel 2a by the convex lenses 1208 and 1209 is converted into fluorescence, and its direction of propagation is changed by 180 degrees. It is then incident on the convex lenses 1209 and 1208 in the same order, and the light beam is made parallel. The fluorescence wavelength-converted by the phosphor wheel 2a is optimized in its respective wavelength range so that it combines with the blue light emitted from the laser light source 1201 to form white light.

[0109] The fluorescence, which is parallelized by the convex lens 1208 and emitted, passes through the λ / 4 wave plate 1207 and is again incident on the polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206, which is positioned at a 45-degree angle to the optical axis. As mentioned above, the polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206 has the property of transmitting light in the wavelength range of fluorescence, so it passes the fluorescence without changing the direction of the light, and the fluorescence is incident on the subsequent convex lens 1210.

[0110] Next, the blue light from the laser light source 1201, focused on the reflective regions 213a and 213b of the phosphor wheel 2a, is reflected by the reflective regions 213a and 213b of the phosphor wheel 2a, changing its direction of travel by 180 degrees, and then incident on the convex lenses 1209 and 1208 in that order, becoming a parallel beam of light.

[0111] The blue light, which has been parallelized by the convex lenses 1209 and 1208, is incident on the subsequent λ / 4 wave plate 1207, where its polarization direction is rotated, and it is converted to P-polarized light before being emitted.

[0112] P-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the λ / 4 wave plate 1207 is incident on the polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206, which is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle to the optical axis. The polarization and color separation and synthesis mirror 1206 has the characteristic of reflecting S-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the laser light source 1201, and transmitting P-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the laser light source 1201 and light in the fluorescence wavelength range that has been wavelength-converted by the phosphor wheel 2a. Therefore, the P-polarized light in the blue wavelength range emitted from the λ / 4 wave plate 1207 passes through without changing the direction of light propagation and is incident on the subsequent convex lens 1210.

[0113] As the phosphor wheel 2a rotates, fluorescence and blue light are incident on the convex lens 1210 in a time series and are focused near the incident end of the rod integrator 1212, which will be described later. The light focused by the convex lens 1210 is incident on the color filter wheel 1211. The color filter wheel 1211 has the same configuration as the color filter wheel 1211 used in the light source device 11 employing the phosphor wheel according to Embodiment 1. As the phosphor wheel 2a and the color filter wheel 1211 rotate in synchronously, light with different wavelength ranges is focused in a time series near the incident end of the rod integrator 1212.

[0114] Light of different wavelengths, incident on the rod integrator 1212, is homogenized by the rod integrator and emitted from the output end. In the explanation in Figure 9, the wheel with a color filter 1211 is placed near the incident side of the rod integrator, but it may also be placed near the output side.

[0115] <Effects> In the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6, the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 is used, and excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance can be obtained. Alternatively, the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4 may be used instead of the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2.

[0116] [3-2 Projection-type image display device] The details of the projection-type image display device 15 equipped with the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6 will be described below. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the projection-type image display device 15 equipped with the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6.

[0117] The configuration of the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6 has been described above, so its explanation is omitted here. Also, the behavior of the light after it is emitted from the rod integrator 1212 is substantially the same as the behavior of the light after it is emitted from the rod integrator 1111 as described in Figure 8, so its explanation is omitted here.

[0118] <Effects> In the projection-type image display device 15 using the light source device 12 according to Embodiment 6, the phosphor wheel 2a according to Embodiment 2 (or the phosphor wheel 2c according to Embodiment 4) is used, and excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance can be obtained.

[0119] Furthermore, this disclosure includes appropriately combining any embodiment and / or example from the various embodiments and / or examples described above, thereby achieving the effects of each embodiment and / or example. [Industrial applicability]

[0120] The phosphor wheel according to this disclosure has first and second sintered wavelength conversion layers adjacent to each other. This makes it possible to obtain excellent conversion efficiency and heat resistance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 2, 2a, 2b, 2c Phosphor Wheel 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d Notches 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d Stepped sections 201 circuit board 202 Adhesive layer 204a, 204b, 214a, 214b First sintered wavelength conversion layer 205a, 205b, 215a, 215b Second sintered wavelength conversion layer 206a, 206b opening 208 motor mounting holes 210 Adhesive base 211 Guide pin 212a, 212b, 212c Guide pins 213a, 213b reflective area 11 Light source device 1101 Laser light source 1102 Collimator lens 1103 Convex lens 1104 Diffuser 1105 Concave lens 1106 Color Separation and Combination Mirror 1107 Convex lens 1108 Convex lens 309 Motor 1109 Convex lens 1110 Wheel with Color Filter 1111 Rod Integrator 1121 Convex lens 1122 Convex lens 1123 Miller 1124 Convex lens 1125 Mirror 1126 Convex lens 1127 Miller 1128 Convex lens 12 Light source device 1201 Laser light source 1202 Collimator Lens 1203 Convex lens 1204 Diffuser 1205 Concave lens 1206 Polarizing and color-separating composite mirror 1207 λ / 4 wave plate 1208 Convex lens 1209 Convex lens 409 Motor 1210 Convex Lens 1211 Wheel with Color Filter 1212 Rod Integrator 14 Projection-type image display device 1401 Convex lens (relay lens) 1402 Convex lens (relay lens) 1403 Convex lens (relay lens) 1411 Total Internal Reflection Prism 1412 Micro-gap 1421 DMD 1431 Projection lens 15 Projection-type image display device R1, r1 Inner diameter R2, r2 outer diameter

Claims

1. A rotatable circuit board, A plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation center of the substrate, each comprising: a first sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-converts excitation light to light of a first wavelength; and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-converts the excitation light to light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. An adhesive layer provided between the substrate and the plurality of wavelength conversion layers, Equipped with, At the boundary where the first sintered body type wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered body type wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered body type wavelength conversion layer has a portion at its circumferential end that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered body type wavelength conversion layer, The adhesive layer also serves as a reflective layer that reflects light of the first wavelength or light of the second wavelength, wherein the phosphor wheel is an adhesive layer.

2. The non-contact portion is a notch provided at the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer, as described in claim 1.

3. The non-contact portion is a missing portion provided on at least one of the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer, as described in claim 1.

4. The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer have at least one of their inner diameters and outer diameters from the rotation center of the substrate that are different from each other at the adjacent boundary.

5. The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer have different radial widths at the adjacent boundary with respect to the rotation center of the substrate.

6. The end face of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the second sintered wavelength conversion layer extends inward from the point where it is in contact with the end face of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer facing the first sintered wavelength conversion layer on the inner circumference side, The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the end face at the end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer extends outward from the portion in contact with the end face at the end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer on the outer circumference side.

7. The adhesive layer is exposed between the non-contact portion of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the end portion of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer, according to the claim. The phosphor wheel described in 1.

8. The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged on the substrate and the opening is located on the same circumference of the rotation center of the substrate.

9. The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor wheel has a reflection region on the same circumference of the rotation center of the substrate on which the plurality of wavelength conversion layers are arranged.

10. The phosphor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the circumferential end of the first sintered wavelength conversion layer at the boundary between the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered wavelength conversion layer is a portion for providing a guide pin used for aligning the second sintered wavelength conversion layer.

11. A light source device comprising a phosphor wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A projection-type image display device comprising the light source device described in claim 11.

13. A step of applying an adhesive layer to a substrate, The process involves placing, adjacent to each other, a first sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of first wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-converts excitation light to light of a first wavelength, and a second sintered wavelength conversion layer having a sintered body of second wavelength conversion particles that wavelength-converts the excitation light to light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, on the substrate. A step of curing the adhesive layer to fix the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer to the substrate, Includes, In the step of arranging the first sintered body type wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered body type wavelength conversion layer, at the boundary where the first sintered body type wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered body type wavelength conversion layer are adjacent, the first sintered body type wavelength conversion layer is arranged such that it has a portion at its circumferential end that is not in contact with the circumferential end of the second sintered body type wavelength conversion layer, A method for manufacturing a phosphor wheel, comprising the step of arranging the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer, wherein guide pins for alignment are provided adjacent to the non-contacting portions, and the substrate, the first sintered wavelength conversion layer, and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer are moved relative to each other along the guide pins in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, thereby arranging the first sintered wavelength conversion layer and the second sintered wavelength conversion layer at the portion of the substrate to which the adhesive layer has been applied.

Images