Luminescence Properties of a Red Phosphor, CaAlSiN[sub 3]:Eu[sup 2+], for White Light-Emitting Diodes

We developed a new red phosphor, , which has a broad excitation band extended from UV region to . At the optimum Eu concentration of , quantum output is seven times higher than for a conventional red phosphor, , under excitation. The phosphor is also more efficient than or at any excitation wavelength. One reason of the high room-temperature efficiency is small thermal quenching, which is probably related to a rigid network of and tetrahedra. The phosphor is chemically stable as well. Accordingly, it is a promising material for warm-white light-emitting diodes.