Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • RTA achieves heating rates up to 55 °C s−1 and sintering in ~10 s, reducing energy consumption to 4.3% of conventional methods, which directly lowers manufacturing costs for high-power laser lighting. • • Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGF via RTA exhibits internal quantum efficiency of 91.2% (vs. 82.8% conventional) and thermal stability of 90.4% at 200 °C, mitigating phosphor degradation that plagues nitride-based converters. • • Under 455 nm blue laser at 27 W mm−2, the red-emitting PiGF produces 2379 lm and 140 lm W−1, surpassing previously reported red color converters, enabling brighter and more efficient laser-driven displays. • • β-SiAlON:Eu2+ and Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGFs integrated into laser-driven LCDs deliver 3502 lm and 206 lm W−1, demonstrating viability for next-generation high-brightness display backlights.
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Abstract
Phosphor-in-glass films (PiGFs) are critical color converters for high-power laser-driven lighting and displays, but conventional sintering requires prolonged high-temperature treatment, causing phosphor degradation and high energy consumption. Wang et al. demonstrate a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) technique using high-power (>10 kW) infrared irradiation to sinter PiGFs within ~10 s, achieving heating rates up to 55 °C s−1 and film porosity below 3%. The RTA method reduces energy consumption to 4.3% of conventional sintering, preserves phosphor luminescence, and enables batch production via uniform thermal fields. For Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ red phosphor-based PiGF, internal quantum efficiency reaches 91.2% (vs. 82.8% for conventional), with thermal stability of 90.4% at 200 °C. Under 455 nm blue laser at 27 W mm−2, it delivers 2379 lm and 140 lm W−1. β-SiAlON:Eu2+ and Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGFs in laser-driven liquid crystal displays achieve 3502 lm and 206 lm W−1. The RTA technique is general for oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, sulphides, and halides, offering a scalable route to high-performance PiGFs.
1. Introduction
Conventional sintering of phosphor-in-glass films (PiGFs) requires prolonged high-temperature treatment, often exceeding hours, which leads to substantial energy consumption and degradation of phosphor luminescence—particularly for nitride and oxynitride phosphors susceptible to oxidation. This bottleneck has hindered the scalable production of thermally robust PiGFs for high-power laser-driven lighting, where color converters must withstand intense optical flux and elevated temperatures without efficiency loss.
Wang and co-workers address this friction by introducing a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) technique that uses high-power (>10 kW) infrared irradiation to sinter PiGFs within approximately 10 seconds. The method achieves heating rates up to 55 °C s−1, yielding film densification with porosity below 3% while preserving the luminescence performance of raw phosphor powders. By drastically reducing sintering time and temperature, RTA mitigates phosphor degradation and oxidation, enabling high internal quantum efficiency (91.2% for Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+) and excellent thermal stability (90.4% at 200 °C), thus providing a general and energy-efficient route for high-performance PiGFs across diverse phosphor systems.
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Xiaoyong Huang (2025). Rapid Thermal Annealing Technique Enables Ultrafast Sintering of Phosphor-in-Glass Films. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3377-5
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the measured internal quantum efficiency of Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGF prepared by RTA, and how does it compare to conventional sintering?
The RTA-prepared Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGF achieves an internal quantum efficiency of 91.2%, whereas the conventional sintering method yields only 82.8%. This 8.4 percentage point improvement directly results from reduced phosphor degradation and oxidation due to the ultra-short sintering time (~10 s) and lower temperature.
What are the energy consumption and sintering time advantages of RTA over conventional PiGF sintering?
RTA consumes only about 4.3% of the energy required by conventional sintering methods. The sintering time is reduced to approximately 10 seconds, compared to hours for conventional processes, enabling rapid, energy-efficient production.
How does the RTA technique address phosphor degradation and oxidation in nitride and oxynitride phosphors?
The ultra-short sintering time (~10 s) and lower sintering temperature minimize exposure to high-temperature oxidative conditions. This preserves the luminescence performance of raw powder phosphors, as evidenced by the high internal quantum efficiency of 91.2% and thermal stability of 90.4% at 200 °C for Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+ PiGF.
What luminous flux and efficacy are achieved under high-power blue laser excitation, and how do they compare to previously reported red color converters?
Under 455 nm blue laser irradiation at a power density of 27 W mm−2, the Sr0.8Ca0.2AlSiN3:Eu2+-based PiGF produces a luminous flux of 2379 lm and a luminous efficacy of 140 lm W−1. These values are significantly higher than those of previously reported red-emitting color converters, indicating superior performance for high-brightness laser lighting.
Is the RTA technique scalable for batch production, and what is the evidence for uniform thermal field distribution?
Yes, the RTA technique provides a uniform thermal field distribution, which enables batch production of PiGFs. This uniformity ensures consistent sintering quality across multiple samples, as demonstrated by the high film densification (porosity <3%) and reproducible luminescence performance.
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