Sintered Phosphor Composite With Fluoride Binder for LED Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wavelength conversion light-emitting layers using organic binders suffer from insufficient durability, heat resistance, and emission intensity, while inorganic binder-based layers face low thermal conductivity and poor heat dissipation, leading to decreased phosphor luminance.

Innovation Solution

A sintered phosphor-composite is developed using a nitride phosphor and a fluoride inorganic binder, where the nitride phosphor is dispersed in the fluoride binder, with a volume fraction of the binder being between 60% and 99%, and sintered at temperatures between 400°C and 1500°C, resulting in high internal quantum efficiency, heat resistance, and thermal conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If organic binders are used in wavelength conversion light-emitting layers, then ease of manufacture is improved, but durability, heat resistance, and emission intensity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoiddurability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the binder material from organic to inorganic (fluoride-based), which fundamentally alters the thermal stability, durability, and emission properties of the light-emitting layer, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure combining fluoride inorganic binder with nitride phosphor particles, achieving both high durability/heat resistance and maintained emission intensity through the synergistic combination of materials with complementary properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If inorganic binder-based layers are used, then durability and heat resistance are improved, but thermal conductivity and heat dissipation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat resistanceVSAvoidthermal conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent selects fluoride-based inorganic binders (such as CaF2, SrF2, BaF2) which inherently possess higher thermal conductivity compared to traditional oxide-based inorganic binders, thus improving heat dissipation while maintaining the durability and heat resistance benefits of inorganic materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If nitride phosphor is dispersed in fluoride inorganic binder, then internal quantum efficiency and thermal conductivity are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal quantum efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the volume fraction of fluoride inorganic binder to 60-99% to achieve the desired balance between internal quantum efficiency, thermal conductivity, and manufacturing feasibility, demonstrating that parameter optimization can resolve the contradiction between performance improvement and manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The sintered phosphor-composite exhibits high luminance, high conversion efficacy, low brightness variation, and small color deviation due to variations in excitation light intensity and temperature, with improved thermal conductivity and transmittance.

Implementation Method 1

phosphor materials with excellent properties have been recently developed in multinary nitrides and oxynitrides based on silicon nitride, and have been used in wavelength conversion light-emitting layers. These phosphor materials are known to be excited to emit yellow or red light by blue LEDs or near ultraviolet LEDs

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Implementation Method 2

a method for producing a sintered phosphor-composite... sintering the green body... a step of sintering, at a temperature of 400°C or more and 1500°C or less, the mixture obtained in the step

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Data Source

PatentEP3249026B1Sintered phosphor, light emitting device, illumination device, vehicle headlamp, and method for manufacturing sintered phosphor
Publication Date: 2023.11.29 MITSUBISHI CHEM CORP
  • EP3249026B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3249026B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3249026B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a sintered phosphor-composite for an LED, having high heat resistance, high thermal conductivity, high luminance, and high conversion efficiency. In addition, there are provided: a light-emitting apparatus which uses the sintered phosphor-composite; and an illumination apparatus and a vehicular headlamp which use the light-emitting apparatus. The sintered phosphor-composite includes a nitride phosphor and a fluoride inorganic binder. The sintered phosphor-composite preferably has an internal quantum efficiency of 60% or more when excited by blue light having a wavelength of 450 nm. Further, the sintered phosphor-composite preferably has a transmittance of 20% or more at a wavelength of 700 nm.