This paper researches the upconversion luminescence of Er:ZBLAN and ErYb:ZBLAN glasses excited by 966 nm diode laser. It is found that there is a new kind of "characteristic saturation phenomenon". It is that the log-log plot's slope of upconversion luminescence intensity upon laser power of ErYb:ZBLAN glass is decreased clearly than that of Er:ZBLAN, and both of their log-log plots are rather good straight line. This upconversion mechanism is a new kind of "diffusion-transfer" mechanism, that is energy diffusion among Yb3+ ions sequential followed by energy transfer between Er(3+)-Yb3+ ions. The "characteristic saturation phenomenon" is just resulted from energy diffusion.