Protective sol–gel coating on silicate phosphor used in light emitting diodes

Abstract In this study, an orange-red silicate phosphor that is used in light emitting diodes (LEDs) was coated with a SiO2 blocking layer via a sol–gel reaction of tetra-ethyl ortho-silicate (TEOS) to investigate its reliability as an encapsulant. A sol–gel coating protects the phosphor surface from moisture and reactive materials and improves the reliability of the phosphor. The efficacy of the phosphor coating following an 85 °C and 85 relative humidity (Rh)% test decreased by 7%, whereas an uncoated phosphor coating decreased by 35%. A SiO2 sol–gel coating decreases the luminous efficiency by a small amount with each coating.