Eu2+-doped aluminum nitride (AlN) phosphors were prepared by a carbothermal reduction process in ambient N(2) atmosphere. Their structures and luminescence properties were studied in terms of the reaction temperature, soaking time, Eu2+ concentration, and carbon content. Pure AlN:Eu2+ phosphors could be obtained with a reaction temperature of 1750 degrees C and a soaking time of 8 h. The dominant emission wavelength of the phosphor could be tuned widely from blue to green by changing the carbon content, which was attributed to the decrease of oxygen content with the increase of carbon content. An obvious enhancement in luminescence intensity was observed by the addition of Li+ to the host of AlN:Eu2+ phosphors, which was due to the promotion of crystallinity, the increase of grain size, and the decrease of lattice distortion.