A method of producing a nitride fluorescent material having a high light emission intensity and including a calcined product having a composition represented by formula M.sup.a.sub.vM.sup.b.sub.wM.sup.c.sub.xM.sup.d.sub.yN.sub.z is provided. M.sup.a is at least one element selected from Sr, Ca, Ba, and Mg; M.sup.b is at least one element selected from Li, Na, and K; M.sup.c is at least one element selected from Eu, Mn, Tb, and Ce; M.sup.d is at least one element selected from Al, B, Ga, and In; v, w, x, y, and z satisfy 0.8v1.1, 0.8w1.1, 0.001<x0.1, 2.0y4.0, and 3.0z5.0, respectively. The nitride fluorescent material includes elemental oxygen in a range of 2% or more and 4% or less by mass. The method includes mixing the calcined product with a polar solvent having a relative dielectric constant in a range of 10 or more and 70 or less at 20 C.

The present invention relates to a light-emitting device including a first luminescent material and a second luminescent material which emits visible light by irradiation with light from the first luminescent material, in which the second luminescent material contains at least a red phosphor which satisfies the following (A) and (B): (A) An emission spectrum has at least one emission peak having a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 20 nm or more and 65 nm or less, and (B) Chromaticity coordinates of a light emission color are present between two straight lines represented by the following equation (a) and equation (b) based on coordinates represented by (x, y) in a CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinate system: (a) y=0.992x, (b) y=1.000x, and 0.290y0.350, an illumination device, an image display device, and an indicator lamp for a vehicle.

A phosphor in which at least some of an element M in a phosphor host crystal represented by M.sub.(L, A).sub.X.sub. is substituted with Eu as an activation material. M represents one or more (including at least Sr) of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Zn, L represents one or more of Li, Na, and K, A represents one or more of Al, Ga, B, In, Sc, Y, La, and Si, X represents one or more (except that X represents only N) of O, N, F, and Cl, , , , and satisfy 8.70+++9.30, 0.00<1.30, 3.704.30, 3.704.30, and 0.00<1.30. In a fluorescence spectrum obtained by irradiation with light having a wavelength of 260 nm, when a fluorescence intensity at a wavelength of 569 nm is represented by I.sub.0 and a fluorescence intensity at a wavelength of 617 nm is represented by I.sub.1, I.sub.1/I.sub.0 is 0.01 or more and 0.4 or less.

The invention provides a light generating system (1000) comprising (i) a plurality of light sources (110,120, . . .), (ii) a first luminescent material (210), and (iii) a second luminescent material (220), wherein: (a) a first light source (110) is configured to generate first light source light (111) having one or more wavelengths in the blue wavelength range and having a first centroid wavelength (C1), wherein the first light source (110) is a laser; (b) the first luminescent material (210) is configured to convert at least part of the first light source light (111) into first luminescent material light (211) having one or more wavelengths in the green and/or yellow wavelength range; (c) a second light source (120) is configured to generate second light source light (121) having one or more wavelengths in the yellow and/or orange wavelength range and having a second centroid wavelength (C2), wherein C2>C1; wherein the second light source (120) is a superluminescent diode; (d) the second luminescent material (220) is configured to convert at least part of the second light source light (121) into second luminescent material light (221) having one or more wavelengths in the orange and/or red wavelength range; and (e) in an operational mode the light generating system (1000) is configured to generate system light (1001) comprising the first luminescent material light (211) and the second luminescent material light (221).

A phosphor having a favorable emission peak wavelength, narrow full width at half maximum, and/or high emission intensity is provided. Additionally, a light-emitting device, an illumination device, an image display device, and/or an indicator lamp for a vehicle having favorable color rendering, color reproducibility and/or favorable conversion efficiency are provided. The present invention relates to a phosphor including a crystal phase having a composition represented by a specific formula, and having a minimum reflectance of 20% or more in a specific wavelength region, in which the specific wavelength region is from the emission peak wavelength of the phosphor to 800 nm, and a light-emitting device comprising the phosphor.

The invention provides a lighting unit (100) comprising a light source (10), configured to generate light source light (11) and a luminescent material (20), configured to convert at least part of the light source light (11) into luminescent material light (51), wherein the luminescent material (20) comprises a phosphor (40), wherein this phosphor comprises an alkaline earth aluminum nitride based material having a cubic crystal structure with T5 supertetrahedra, wherein the T5 supertetrahedra comprise at least Al and N, and wherein the alkaline earth aluminum nitride based material further comprises a luminescent lanthanide incorporated therein.

The invention provides, amongst others for application in a lighting unit, a phosphor having the formula M.sub.1xyzZ.sub.zA.sub.aB.sub.bC.sub.cD.sub.dE.sub.eN.sub.4nO.sub.n:ES.sub.xRE.sub.y (I), with M=selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba; Z=selected from the group consisting of monovalent Na, K, and Rb; A=selected from the group consisting of divalent Mg, Mn, Zn, and Cd; B=selected from the group consisting of trivalent B, Al and Ga; C=selected from the group consisting of tetravalent Si, Ge, Ti, and Hf; D=selected from the group consisting of monovalent Li, and Cu; E=selected for the group consisting of P, V, Nb, and Ta; ES=selected from the group consisting of divalent Eu, Sm and Yb; RE=selected from the group consisting of trivalent Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm; 0x0.2; 0y0.2; 0<x+y0.4; 0z<1; 0n0.5; 0a4 (such as 2a3); 0b4; 0c4; 0d4; 0e4; a+b+c+d+e=4; and 2a+3b+4c+d+5e=10yn+z.

A phosphor having a favorable emission peak wavelength, narrow full width at half maximum, and/or high emission intensity is provided. Additionally, a light-emitting device, an illumination device, an image display device, and/or an indicator lamp for a vehicle having favorable color rendering, color reproducibility and/or favorable conversion efficiency are provided. The present invention relates to a phosphor including a crystal phase having a composition represented by a specific formula, and when, in a powder X-ray diffraction spectrum of the phosphor, the intensity of a peak that appears in a region where 2=38-39 is designated as Ix and the intensity of a peak that appears in a region where 2=37-38 is designated as Iy, the relative intensity Ix/Iy of Ix to Iy is 0.140 or less, and a light-emitting device comprising the phosphor.

The invention provides a light generating system (1000) comprising (i) a plurality of light sources (110, 120, . . . ), (ii) a first luminescent material (210), and (iii) a second luminescent material (220), wherein: (a) a first light source (110) is configured to generate first light source light (111) having one or more wavelengths in the blue wavelength range and having a first centroid wavelength (C1), wherein the first light source (110) is a laser; (b) the first luminescent material (210) is configured to convert at least part of the first light source light (111) into first luminescent material light (211) having one or more wavelengths in the green and/or yellow wavelength range; (c) a second light source (120) is configured to generate second light source light (121) having one or more wavelengths in the yellow and/or orange wavelength range and having a second centroid wavelength (C2), wherein C2>C1; wherein the second light source (120) is a superluminescent diode; (d) the second luminescent material (220) is configured to convert at least part of the second light source light (121) into second luminescent material light (221) having one or more wavelengths in the orange and/or red wavelength range; and (e) in an operational mode the light generating system (1000) is configured to generate system light (1001) comprising the first luminescent material light (211) and the second luminescent material light (221).

A phosphor includes a crystal phase having a composition represented by Re.sup.xMA.sup.aMB.sup.bMC.sup.cD.sup.dX.sup.e, in which MA includes at least one of Ca, Sr, Ba, Na, K, Y, Gd, or La, MB includes at least one of Li, Mg, or Zn, MC includes at least one of Al, Si, Ga, In, or Sc, D is N (nitrogen) and/or O (oxygen), X includes at least one of F, Cl, Br, or I, Re includes at least one of Eu, Ce, Pr, Tb, or Dy, and a, b, c, d, e, and x satisfy the specific expressions, respectively. In the phosphor, when a content of B (boron) is designated as b (mass ppm), a value of Log.sub.10(b) is 3.5 or less.