| abstract |
Disclosed is a blue light-emitting phosphor powder which has more excellent emission characteristics than the conventional rare earth element-activated sialon phosphors and more excellent durability than the conventional oxide phosphors. Specifically, a phosphor which emits fluorescent light having a peak wavelength within the range from 400 nm to 700 nm when illuminated by an excitation source is obtained by firing a raw material mixture of metal compounds, which can form a composition composed of M, A, Si, Al, O and N (wherein M represents one or more elements selected from Mn, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb and A represents one or more elements selected from C, Si, Ge, Sn, B, Ga, In, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Gd, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta and W), at a temperature not less than 1500˚C but not more than 2200˚C in a nitrogen atmosphere. |