The role of calcination temperature on structural and luminescence behaviour of novel apatite-based Ca2Y 8(SiO4)6O2: Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphors

Abstract

A series of novel apatite-based Ca₂Y₈(SiO₄)₆O₂ phosphors doped with Ce³⁺ and Tb³⁺ were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method at different calcination temperatures and times. The comparative results of thermal analysis (TG-DTA), FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) reveal that the firing temperature for Ca ₂Y ₈ (SiO₄)₆O₂:Ce³⁺, Tb³⁺ was optimized to be 1200°C. The systematic studies on the influences of thermal treatment conditions on photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) properties were also reported. The excitation spectra of Ca₂Y₈(SiO₄)₆O₂:Ce³⁺, Tb³⁺exhibited one strong excitation band at 325nm. The PL and CL results indicated that the violet-blue emission intensities about 400nm from the Ce³⁺ and efficient green emission at 544nm from Tb³⁺ were highly dependent on the calcination conditions.

Keywords: Ca(2)Y (8)(SiO(4))(6)O(2); Ce(3+); Luminescence; Solid state reaction; Tb(3+).