A nitride-based deep red phosphor having at least one of the following features: 1) an oxygen content less than about 2 percent by weight, and 2) a halogen content. Such phosphors are useful in the white light illumination industry, which utilizes the so-called "white LED." The selection and use of a rare earth halide as a raw material source of not only the activator for the phosphor, but also the halogen, is a feature of the present embodiments. The phosphors have the general formula MaMbBc(N,D):Eu2+, where Ma is a divalent alkaline earth metal such as Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba; Mb is a trivalent metal such as Al, Ga, Bi, Y, La, and Sm; and Mc is a tetravalent element such as Si, Ge, P, and B; N is nitrogen, and D is a halogen such as F, Cl, or Br. An exemplary compound is CaAlSi(N1-xFx): Eu2+.