A processing apparatus includes a chuck table having a holding surface for holding a workpiece; a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the chuck table in a horizontal direction and is supplied with a first oil; and a vertical moving mechanism that moves a processing unit in a vertical direction and is supplied with a second oil. Before mounting the workpiece on the holding surface, the holding surface is imaged by a camera while being irradiated with light, and it is examined whether or not the picked-up image is emitting light. If there is a light-emitting part in the picked-up image, it is determined that oil is adhered to the light-emitting part.

Phosphors include a CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase, wherein the CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of inorganic luminescent materials, particularly relates to a nitride fluorescent material, and further discloses a light-emitting device containing such a fluorescent material. The nitride fluorescent material contains a compound with a structure like M.sub.mAl.sub.xSi.sub.yN.sub.3: aR, bEu, cCe. The fluorescent material has very high physical stability and chemical stability, and the fluorescent material is better in crystallization, and thus has relatively high external quantum efficiency. When being applied to a light-emitting device, the fluorescent material can fully exert the advantages of good stability and high external quantum efficiency, and the light-emitting efficiency and stability of the light-emitting device can be further improved.

A phosphor having different light emission characteristics from the conventional phosphor, having high emission intensity and chemical and thermal stability, combined with LED of less than 450 nm. This phosphor includes an inorganic compound comprising: a crystal represented by Ba.sub.1Si.sub.4Al.sub.3N.sub.9, an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as Ba.sub.1Si.sub.4Al.sub.3N.sub.9 crystal, or a solid solution crystal thereof, comprising A element, D element, E element, and X element (A is one or more elements selected from Li, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and La; D is one or more elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf; E is one or more elements selected from B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, and Y; X is one or more elements selected from O, N, and F), into which M element is solid-solved (M is one or more elements selected from Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Yb).

Phosphors include a CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase, wherein the CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb.

An oxynitride phosphor powder is an α-SiAlON phosphor having a dominant wavelength of 565-577 nm and fluorescence intensity and external quantum efficiency that are high enough for practical use. The oxynitride phosphor powder comprises an α-SiAlON represented by the compositional formula: Ca.sub.x1Eu.sub.x2Yb.sub.x3Si.sub.12−(y+z)Al.sub.(y+z)O.sub.zN.sub.16−z (wherein 0.0<x1≦2.0, 0.0000<x2≦0.0100, 0.0000<x3≦0.0100, 0.4≦x2/x3≦1.4, 1.0≦y≦4.0, 0.5≦z≦2.0).

The present invention relates to europium-doped phosphors, to a process for the preparation thereof, and to the use of these compounds as conversion phosphors. The present invention furthermore relates to light-emitting devices which comprise the phosphor according to the invention.

Phosphors include a CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase, wherein the CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb.

A yellow phosphor is provided. The yellow phosphor includes a crystal formed of a compound that is represented by the following formula (1): Ln.sub.4−x(Eu.sub.zM.sub.1−z).sub.xSi.sub.12−yAl.sub.yO.sub.3+x+yN.sub.18−x−y(0.5≦x≦3, 0<z<0.3, 0<y≦4) (1), wherein Ln includes at least one rare earth element, and M includes at least one selected from calcium (Ca), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), and magnesium (Mg).

Embodiments of the invention include a wavelength-converting material defined by AE.sub.3−x1−y+zRE.sub.3−x2+y−z[Si.sub.9-wAl.sub.w(N.sub.1−yC.sub.y).sup.[4](N.sub.16−z−wO.sub.z+w).sup.[12]]Eu.sub.x1,Ce.sub.x2, where AE=Ca, Sr, Ba; RE=Y, Lu, La, Sc; 0≦x1≦0.18; 0≦x2≦0.2; x1+x2 >0; 0≦y≦1; 0≦z≦3; 0≦w≦3.