Patent ID: 8883040

Claim:
A luminescent material for a light emitting diode (LED), comprising a compound comprising a host lattice and a luminescent ion, the luminescent ion comprising at least one rare earth element within the host lattice, wherein the host lattice comprises first ions and oxygen, wherein a portion of the first ions is substituted by copper ions, and wherein the compound is to emit light upon excitation with ultraviolet light or visible light, wherein the luminescent ion comprises at least one rare earth element, but does not comprise copper ions, and wherein the compound has the formula: a (M′O). b (M″ 2 O). c (M″X).4- a - b - c (M′″O).7(Al 2 O 3 ). d (B 2 O 3 ). e (Ga 2 O 3 ). f (SiO 2 ). g (GeO 2 ). h (M″″ x O y ), wherein: M′ is Cu, or a combination of Cu and Pb; M″ is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Au, Ag, or any combination thereof; M′″ is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, Mn, or any combination thereof; M″″ is Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or any combination thereof, or at least one of Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb in combination with at least one of Bi, Sn, Sb, Sc, Y, La, Ce, and Lu, or at least one of Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb in combination with In, or at least one of Sc, Y, La, Ce, and Lu in combination with In; X is F, Cl, Br, I, or any combination thereof; 0<a≦4; 0≦b≦2; 0≦c≦2; 0≦d≦1; 1≦e≦1; 0≦f≦1; 0≦g≦1; 0<h≦2; 1≦x≦2; and 1≦y≦5.