| abstract |
To provide sialon phosphor particles or a powder exhibiting high emission intensity in the region from ultraviolet to blue and not requiring a strong pulverization operation for pulverizing a sintered body or a large aggregated lump, and a production method thereof. Sialon phosphor particles represented by the formula: M x Ln y Si 12−(m+n) Al (m+n) O n N 16−n (wherein M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Ca, Mg and Y, Ln is a lanthanide metal containing at least Eu, and assuming that the valence of the metal M is a and the valence of the lanthanide metal Ln is b, ax+by=m, x is 0<x, y≦2.0, 0.3≦m<4.5 and 0.5≦n<2.5), wherein in the surface analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the ratio between the peak area of 3d 5/2 spectrum of europium and the peak area of 2p spectrum of Si is 0.5 or less. |