Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a phosphor that is used in a plasma display panel,
a mercury free fluorescent lamp or the like, and to a light-emitting device such as
a plasma display panel.
Background Art
[0002] Various aluminate phosphors are utilized as phosphors for energy-saving fluorescent
lamps. As a blue phosphor, for example, (Ba,Sr)MgAl
10O
17:Eu is mentioned. As a green phosphor, for example, CeMgAl
11O
19:Tb, and BaMgAl
10O
17:Eu,Mn are mentioned.
[0003] In recent years, (Ba,Sr)MgAl
10O
17:Eu, which has high luminance at vacuum-ultraviolet excitation, is used as a blue
phosphor for a plasma display panel (PDP).
[0004] However, when a PDP, especially one using the blue phosphor (Ba,Sr)MgAl
10O
17:Eu, is driven for a long period, the luminance is degraded significantly. Hence,
in the PDP use there is a strong demand for a phosphor that shows less luminance degradation
even after the long-time driving.
[0005] In response to this, a method using a silicate phosphor is proposed in
JP2003-132803A.
[0006] However, the method described in
JP2003-132803A has not achieved inhibition of the luminance degradation of the phosphor during PDP
driving, while the high luminance is given. Moreover, the chromaticity y is higher
and the color purity is worse than that of a blue phosphor (Ba,Sr)MgAl
10O
17:Eu (BAM:Eu) that is currently used in the PDP.
[0007] A plasma display device according to
EP 1 506 989 A1 includes a blue phosphor composed of a compound represented by Me
3MgSi
2O
8:Eu (where, Me is at least calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), or barium (Ba)). Concentration
of bivalent Eu ions is 45 to 95% and concentration of trivalent Eu ions is 5 to 55%,
of the europium (Eu) atoms contained in the blue phosphor layer. The plasma display
device it aimed at having less luminance degradation in a panel manufacturing process,
high luminance, and long lifetime.
Disclosure of Invention
[0008] The present invention has achieved a solution to the above problems, and it is an
object of the present invention to provide a phosphor that has high luminance, a property
of low luminance degradation during PDP driving, and chromaticity y comparable to
that of BAM:Eu. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a PDP with
a long life using the above phosphor.
[0009] The phosphor of the present invention is represented by the general formula x'A'O•y
1'EuO•y
2'EuO
3/2•MgO•z'SiO
2 wherein A' is at least one selected from Ca, and Sr, and 2.980≤x' ≤3.000, 0.010≤y
1'+y
2' ≤0.020, and 1.900≤z' ≤2.100 are satisfied, and has 20 mol % or less of the divalent
Eu ratio (ratio of the divalent Eu element to the total of the Eu elements) in the
vicinity of the surface of the phosphor particle. In this phosphor, the luminance
degradation is more inhibited.
[0010] Next, the light-emitting device of the present invention is a light-emitting device
containing the above-mentioned phosphor in the phosphor layer. The light-emitting
device (e.g., PDP, fluorescent panel, and fluorescent lamp etc.) has the blue luminance
and chromaticity y comparable to or better than that of a light-emitting device using
BAM:Eu that is used conventionally. In addition, the light-emitting device has the
excellent resistance to luminance degradation.
[0011] Last, the PDP of the present invention includes a front panel, a back panel that
is arranged to face the front panel, barrier ribs that define the clearance between
the front panel and the back panel, a pair of electrodes that are disposed on the
back panel or the front panel, and a discharged gas that is present between the electrodes
and contains xenon. By applying a control signal between the electrodes using an external
drive circuit, a vacuum ultraviolet ray can be emitted. The PDP further includes phosphor
layers that emit visible light induced by the vacuum ultraviolet ray, and the phosphor
layer contains the above-mentioned phosphor. This PDP has the blue luminance and chromaticity
y comparable to or better than that of a PDP using BAM:Eu that is conventionally used.
In addition, the PDP has the excellent resistance to luminance degradation along with
image display.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0012]
Fig. 1 shows one example of peaks derived from Eu in the measurement by X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy.
Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view showing an example of a construction
of the PDP of the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
[0014] The phosphor of the present invention is represented by the general formula xAO•y
1EuO•y
2EuO
3/2•DO•zSiO
2. Here, A is at least one selected from Ca, Sr and D is Mg. With respect to x, y
1, y
2, and z, 2.980≤x≤3.000, 0.010≤y
1+y
2≤0.020, and 1.900≤z≤2.100 are satisfied.
[0015] In the phosphor of the present invention, the divalent Eu ratio (ratio of the divalent
Eu element to the total of the Eu elements) in the vicinity of the surface of the
phosphor particle is 20 mol % or less (including 0%). Heretofore, with respect to
the blue phosphors of a BAM:Eu type, phosphors that have the high ratio of the divalent
Eu element to the total of the Eu elements have been manufactured so that a lot of
divalent Eu is contained, since the divalent Eu serves as an activator. However, the
present inventors have found that unlike the conventional phosphors, the silicate
phosphor of the present invention has chromaticity y comparable to that of BAM:Eu,
high luminance, and an excellent resistance to luminance degradation, for the reason
that the divalent Eu ratio is low in the vicinity of the surface of the phosphor particle.
[0016] In the present invention, the divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface of
the phosphor particle is a value measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
XPS is a surface analysis method to measure the energy of photoelectrons that have
come out from a sample by irradiating the sample surface with X-ray of a known wavelength
(e.g., Al Ka line, energy value: 1487eV). Thereby information in the area within generally
about 4 nm from the sample surface can be obtained selectively. Relative sensitivity
factors of each element already have been demonstrated and therefore it can be said
that the measurement of the ratio of metal elements in a sample surface by XPS is
an established technique. Hence, in the present invention, the vicinity of the surface
of the phosphor particle means an area that is measured by XPS, for example, the area
from the surface to about 4 nm toward the center.
[0017] In the XPS, photoelectron energy at the peak shifts depending on the chemical state
of an element (this shift is referred to as chemical shift), and therefore, with respect
to the peaks derived from Eu, a peak with binding energy of around 1124 eV derived
from divalent Eu and a peak with binding energy of around 1132 eV derived from trivalent
Eu are clearly distinguished as shown in Fig. 1. The divalent Eu ratio can be calculated
from the intensity ratio (area ratio of peaks) of the peak derived from divalent Eu
and the peak derived from trivalent Eu.
[0018] The divalent Eu ratio is 20% or less and more preferably 10% or less. The smaller
the divalent Eu ratio is, the better the luminance retaining rate becomes.
[0019] Hereinafter, the method for producing the phosphor of the present invention will
be described. The method for producing the phosphor of the present invention is not
limited thereto.
[0020] As a strontium source material for the silicate phosphor of the present invention,
a strontium compound that can be converted into strontium oxide by firing, such as
strontium hydroxide, strontium carbonate, strontium nitrate, strontium halide or strontium
oxalate having high purity (purity of 99% or more) may be used. Strontium oxide having
high purity (purity of 99% or more) also may be used.
[0021] As a calcium source material, a calcium compound that can be converted into calcium
oxide by firing, such as calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium nitrate, calcium
halide or calcium oxalate having high purity (purity of 99% or more) may be used.
Calcium oxide having high purity (purity of 99% or more) also may be used.
[0022] As a magnesium source material, a magnesium compound that can be converted into magnesium
oxide by firing, such as magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium nitrate,
magnesium halide, magnesium oxalate or basic magnesium carbonate having high purity
(purity of 99% or more) may be used. Magnesium oxide having high purity (purity of
99% or more) also may be used.
[0023] As a europium source material, a europium compound that can be converted into europium
oxide by firing, such as europium hydroxide, europium carbonate, europium nitrate,
europium halide, or europium oxalate having high purity (purity of 99% or more) may
be used. Europium oxide having high purity (purity of 99% or more) also may be used.
[0024] As a zinc source material and a silicon source material, various source materials
that can be converted into oxides, or oxide source materials may be used in the same
way.
[0025] The method for mixing raw materials may be wet blending in a solution or dry blending
of dry powders. A ball mill, a stirred media mill, a planetary mill, a vibration mill,
a jet mill, a V-type mixer, an agitator and the like, which are in general industrial
use, may be used.
[0026] Firing of the mixed powders is carried out within the temperature range of 800 to
1300°C for about 1 to 10 hours. Here, in order to control the divalent Eu ratio in
the vicinity of the surface of the phosphor particle to 50% or less, the firing has
to be carried out under a weaker reducing atmosphere than conventional. The firing
is carried out, for example, under the atmosphere containing oxygen and hydrogen,
specifically, in the mixed gas of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. In this case, the
divalent Eu ratio can be controlled by precisely controlling a partial pressure of
oxygen in the mixed gas. The lower the partial pressure of oxygen is, the higher the
divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface of the phosphor particle becomes.
[0027] As a furnace used for the firing, furnaces that is in general industrial use may
be used. A gas furnace or an electric furnace of batch type or continuous type such
as a pusher furnace may be used.
[0028] When a hydroxide, a carbonate, a nitrate, a halide, an oxalate or the like, which
can be converted into oxide by firing is used as a source material, it is preferable
that pre-firing is carried out within the temperature range of 800 to 1250°C before
the main firing.
[0029] The particle size distribution and flowability of the phosphor powder can be adjusted
by crushing the obtained phosphor powder again using a ball mill, jet mill, or the
like, and further by washing or classification, if necessary.
[0030] A light-emitting device having good luminance, chromaticity and luminance retaining
rate can be costructed by applying the phosphor of the present invention to a light-emitting
device having a phosphor layer. Specifically, in a light-emitting device having a
phosphor layer in which BAM:Eu is used, all or part of BAM:Eu is replaced with the
phosphor of the present invention, and a light-emitting device may be costructed according
to a known method. Examples of the light-emitting device include a plasma display
panel, a fluorescent panel, and a fluorescent lamp, and among them, a plasma display
panel is suitable.
[0031] Hereinafter, an embodiment wherein the phosphor of the present invention is applied
to PDP will be described with an example of an AC surface-discharge type PDP. Fig.
2 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a principal structure of an AC surface-discharge
type PDP 10. It should be noted that the PDP shown here is illustrated for convenience'
sake with a size that is appropriate for a specification of 1024×768 pixels, which
is 42-inch class, and the present invention may be applied to other sizes and specifications
as well.
[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, this PDP 10 includes a front panel 20 and a back panel 26, and
these panels are arranged with their main surfaces facing each other.
[0033] The front panel 20 includes a front panel glass 21 as a front substrate, strip-shaped
display electrodes (X-electrode 23, Y-electrode 22) provided on one main surface of
the front panel glass 21, a front-side dielectric layer 24 having a thickness of about
30 µm covering the display electrodes, and a protective layer 25 having a thickness
of about 1.0 µm provided on the front-side dielectric layer 24.
[0034] The above display electrode includes a strip-shaped transparent electrode 220 (230)
with a thickness of 0.1 µm and width of 150 µm, and a bus line 221 (231) having a
thickness of 7 µm and width of 95 µm and laid on the transparent electrode. A plurality
of pairs of the display electrodes are disposed in the y direction, where the x direction
is a longitudinal direction.
[0035] Each pair of display electrodes (X-electrode 23, Y-electrode 22) is electrically
connected to a panel drive circuit (not shown) in the vicinity of the ends of the
width direction (y direction) of the front panel glass 21. It should be noted that
the Y-electrodes 22 are collectively connected to the panel drive circuit and the
X-electrodes 23 are each independently connected to the panel drive circuit. When
the Y-electrodes 22 and the certain X-electrodes 23 are fed using the panel drive
circuit, a surface discharge (sustained discharge) is generated in the gap (approximately
80 µm) between the X-electrode 23 and the Y-electrode 22. The X-electrode 23 can operate
as a scan electrode, and in this case, a write discharge (address discharge) can be
generated between the X-electrode 23 and the after-mentioned address electrode 28.
[0036] The above-mentioned back panel 26 includes a back panel glass 27 as a back substrate,
a plurality of address electrodes 28, a back-side dielectric layer 29, barrier ribs
30, and phosphor layers 31 to 33, each of which corresponds to one color of red (R),
green (G), and blue (B). The phosphor layers 31 to 33 are provided so that they contact
with side walls of two adjacent barrier ribs 30 and with the back-side dielectric
layer 29 between the adjacent barrier ribs 30, and repeatedly disposed in sequence
in the x direction.
[0037] The blue phosphor layer (B) contains the above-mentioned silicate phosphor of the
present invention. It should be noted that the phosphor of the present invention may
be used alone or used as a mixture with a known phosphor such as BAM:Eu. On the other
hand, the red phosphor layer and the green phosphor layer contain phosphors commonly
used. Examples of a red phosphor include (Y, Gd)BO
3:Eu, and Y
2O
3:Eu. Examples of a green phosphor include Zn
2SiO
4:Mn, YBO
3:Tb, and (Y,Gd)BO
3:Tb.
[0038] Each phosphor layer can be formed by applying a phosphor ink in which phosphor particles
are dissolved to the barrier ribs 30 and the back-side dielectric layer 29 by a known
applying method such as a meniscus method and a line jet method, and drying and firing
(e.g., at 500°C, for 10 min) them. The above-mentioned phosphor ink can be prepared,
for example, by mixing 30% by mass of the blue phosphor with a volume average particle
diameter of 2 µm, 4.5% by mass of ethyl cellulose with mass average molecular weight
of about 200,000, and 65.5% by mass of butyl carbitol acetate. In this regard, it
is preferable that a viscosity thereof is adjusted eventually to 2000 to 6000 cps,
since the adherence of the ink to the barrier ribs 30 can be enhanced.
[0039] The address electrodes 28 are provided on the one main surface of the back panel
glass 27. The back-side dielectric layer 29 is provided so as to cover the address
electrodes 28. The barrier ribs 30 have a height of about 150 µm and width of about
40 µm, and the longitudinal direction is in the y direction. The barrier ribs 30 are
provided on the back-side dielectric layer 29 so as to correspond to pitches of the
adjacent address electrodes 28.
[0040] Each of the address electrodes 28 has a thickness of 5 µm and width of 60 µm, A plurality
of address electrodes 28 are disposed in the x direction, where the y direction is
a longitudinal direction. The address electrodes 28 are disposed at a certain pitch
(about 150 µm). A plurality of address electrodes 28 are each independently connected
to the above-mentioned panel drive circuit. Address discharge can be generated between
a certain address electrodes 28 and a certain X-electrode 23 by feeding each address
electrode individually.
[0041] The front panel 20 and the back panel 26 are disposed so that the address electrode
28 and the display electrode are orthogonal. Peripheral portions of both panel 20
and 26 are bonded and sealed by a frit glass sealing portion (not shown) in which
the frit glass is used as a sealing member.
[0042] In an enclosed space between the front panel 20 and the back panel 26, which has
been bonded and sealed by the frit glass sealing portion, a discharge gas composed
of a rare gas such as He, Xe and Ne is included at a certain pressure (ordinarily
about 6.7×10
4 to 1.0×10
5 Pa).
[0043] It should be noted that a space corresponding to a space between two adjacent barrier
ribs 30 is a discharge space 34. A region where a pair of display electrodes and one
address electrode 28 intersect with a discharge space 34 in between corresponds to
a cell used for displaying images. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the
cell pitch in the x direction is set to approximately 300 µm and the cell pitch in
the y direction is set to approximately 675 µm.
[0044] When the PDP 10 is driven, a sustained discharge is generated by applying a pulse
to between a pair of the display electrodes (X-electrode 23, Y-electrode 22) after
an address discharge is generated by applying a pulse voltage to the certain address
electrode 28 and the certain X-electrode 23 by a panel drive circuit. A prescribed
image can be displayed on the front panel side by letting the phosphors contained
in the phosphor layers 31 to 33 emit visible light using the ultraviolet ray with
a short wavelength (resonance line with a central wavelength of about 147 nm and molecular
beam with a central wavelength of 172 nm) thus generated.
[0045] The phosphor of the present invention can be applied to a fluorescent panel including
a fluorescent layer that is excited by an ultraviolet ray and then emits light according
to a known manner. This fluorescent panel has higher luminance and excellent resistance
to luminance degradation compared to the conventional fluorescent panels. This fluorescent
panel can be used, for example, as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device.
[0046] The phosphor of the present invention can be applied also to a fluorescent lamp (e.g.,
electrodeless fluorescent lamp etc.) according to a known manner. This fluorescent
lamp has higher luminance and excellent resistance to luminance degradation compared
to the conventional fluorescent lamps.
[0047] Hereinafter, the phosphor of the present invention will be described in detail giving
Examples.
(Examples of manufacture of phosphors)
[0048] As starting materials, SrCO
3, BaCO
3, CaCO
3, Eu
2O
3, MgO, ZnO, and SiO
2 were used. These were weighed according to the predetermined composition, and wet-mixed
in pure water using a ball mill.
[0049] The mixture was dried at 150°C for 10 hours and the dried powder was fired in air
at 1100°C for 4 hours. The pre-fired product was fired in a mixed gas of nitrogen,
hydrogen and oxygen at 1100 to 1300°C for 4 hours and a phosphor thus was obtained.
It should be noted that the divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface of the
phosphor particle was varied by precisely controlling a partial pressure of oxygen
in the mixed gas. In the case of a partial pressure of oxygen of 10
-16 atm, the divalent Eu ratio was 80%. In the case of a partial pressure of oxygen of
10
-15.5 atm, the divalent Eu ratio was 50%. In the case of a partial pressure of oxygen of
10
-14 atm, the divalent Eu ratio was 20%. In the case of a partial pressure of oxygen of
10
-12 atm, the divalent Eu ratio was 10%.
[0050] The divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface of the obtained phosphor particle
was calculated from the intensity ratio (area ratio of peaks) of the peak derived
from divalent Eu and the peak derived from trivalent Eu by XPS (manufactured by ULVAC-PHI,
Inc., model: Quantera SXM). It should be noted that the background was subtracted
by Shirley's method and the peaks were fitted using a Gaussian function.
[0051] The compositions of prepared phosphors, the divalent Eu ratios in the vicinity of
the surface, and the emission intensities Y/y and chromaticities y measured by irradiating
the samples with a vacuum ultraviolet ray with a wavelength of 146nm are shown in
Table 1. In this regard, Y and y are luminance Y and chromaticity y in the XYZ color
coordinate system of International Commission on Illumination, and Y/y is a value
relative to the standard sample (BaMgAl
10O
17:Eu). It should be noted that an asterisk was marked beside the sample number for
Comparative Examples while no asterisk was marked for Examples in table 1.
(Table 1)
| Sample number |
A |
D |
x |
y1+y2 |
z |
Divalent Eu ratio (%) |
Y/y (%) |
y |
| *1 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.900 |
0.100 |
2.000 |
80 |
42 |
0.120 |
| *2 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.970 |
0.030 |
2.000 |
50 |
100 |
0.065 |
| *3 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.500 |
0.001 |
2.000 |
30 |
102 |
0.050 |
| *4 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.000 |
0.009 |
1.900 |
10 |
104 |
0.055 |
| *5 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.997 |
0.003 |
2.100 |
10 |
100 |
0.051 |
| *6 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.991 |
0.009 |
2.000 |
0 |
112 |
0.053 |
| *7 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.000 |
0.006 |
2.000 |
5 |
118 |
0.055 |
| *8 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.100 |
0.003 |
2.000 |
10 |
120 |
0.056 |
| 9 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
15 |
122 |
0.056 |
| 10 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.988 |
0.012 |
2.000 |
20 |
125 |
0.057 |
| *11 |
Sr0.95Ca0.05 |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
30 |
100 |
0.064 |
| 12 |
Sr0.99Ca0.01 |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
15 |
111 |
0.056 |
| *13 |
Sr0.95Ba0.05 |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
25 |
95 |
0.050 |
| *14 |
Sr0.99Ba0.01 |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
20 |
102 |
0.053 |
| *15 |
Sr |
Mg0.9Zn0.1 |
2.985 |
0.015 |
2.000 |
20 |
112 |
0.057 |
| *16 |
Sr |
Mg0.9Zn0.2 |
2.985 |
0.015 |
2.000 |
30 |
100 |
0.062 |
| 17 |
Sr0.99Ca0.01 |
Mg |
2.980 |
0.020 |
2.000 |
20 |
115 |
0.057 |
| 18 |
Sr0.99Ca0.01 |
Mg |
3.000 |
0.010 |
1.900 |
15 |
110 |
0.058 |
| 19 |
Sr0.89Ca0.01 |
Mg |
2.985 |
0.015 |
2.100 |
20 |
111 |
0.059 |
| Standard sample Ba0.9MgAl10O17:Eu0.1 |
|
|
100 |
0.055 |
[0052] As is clear from Table 1, the phosphor of the present invention has high luminance
at vacuum-ultraviolet excitation and chromaticity y comparable to that of BAM:Eu.
Moreover, the phosphor having the divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface
of 20 mol % or less has particularly high luminance and good chromaticity y.
(Examples of manufacture of PDPs)
[0053] PDPs 106,68cm (42 inches) that having the structure of Fig. 2 were manufactured according
to the construction of the above-described embodiment of an AC surface-discharge type
PDP, using the same blue phosphors as those of the sample numbers 1 to 8, 12 and 15
in the above Examples of manufacture of phosphors, and the luminance retaining rate
was evaluated. The luminance retaining rates (rate of the luminance Y value after
driving relative to the initial luminance Y value) after accelerated driving (equivalent
to 3000 hours driving) are shown in Table 2. The panels displayed a fixed image with
one color of blue. It should be noted that an asterisk was marked beside the sample
number for Comparative Examples while no asterisk was marked for Examples in table
2.
(Table 2)
| Sample number |
A |
D |
x |
y1+y2 |
z |
Divalent Eu ratio (%) |
Luminance retaining rate (%) |
| *20 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.900 |
0.100 |
2.000 |
80 |
85 |
| *21 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.970 |
0.030 |
2.000 |
50 |
92 |
| *22 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.500 |
0.001 |
2.000 |
30 |
95 |
| *23 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.000 |
0.009 |
1.900 |
10 |
96 |
| *24 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.997 |
0.003 |
2.100 |
10 |
98 |
| *25 |
Sr |
Mg |
2.991 |
0.009 |
2.000 |
0 |
100 |
| *26 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.000 |
0.006 |
2.000 |
5 |
100 |
| *27 |
Sr |
Mg |
3.100 |
0.003 |
2.000 |
10 |
100 |
| 28 |
Sr0.99Cra0.01 |
Mg |
2.986 |
0.014 |
2.000 |
15 |
100 |
| *29 |
Sr |
Mg0.9Zn0.1 |
2.985 |
0.015 |
2.000 |
20 |
97 |
| Standard sample Ba0.9MgAl10O17:Eu0.1 |
82 |
[0054] As is clear from Table 2, it is confirmed that the luminance degradation in the cases
where the phosphor of the present invention was used was inhibited significantly.
In particular, when the divalent Eu ratio in the vicinity of the surface of the phosphor
particle was 20 or less, hardly any luminance degradation was induced. In contrast,
significant luminance degradation of the samples of Comparative Examples during driving
was observed.
Industrial Applicability
[0055] A plasma display panel with a long life having high luminance, high color purity,
and a property of low luminance degradation during PDP driving can be provided by
using the phosphor of the present invention. The phosphor of the present invention
can be applied to the application of an electrodeless fluorescent lamp, and a fluorescent
panel that is used as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device, and the like.