Photoluminescence characteristics of Y_3Al_5O_(12):Tb~(3+) phosphors synthesized using the combustion method

摘要

For this study, terbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Tb) phosphor powders were prepared via the combustion process using the 1:1 ratio of metal ions to reagents. The characteristics of the synthesized nano powder were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and photoluminescence. Single-phase cubic YAG:Tb crystalline powder was obtained at 800℃ by directly crystallizing it from amorphous materials, as determined by XRD techniques. There were no intermediate phases such as yttrium aluminum perovskite (YAlO_3) and yttrium aluminum monoclinic (Y_4Al_2O_9) observed in the sintering process. The SEM image showed that the resulting YAG:Tb powders had uniform sizes and good homogeneity. With the increase in the sintering temperature, the grain size increased. The photoluminescence spectra of the YAG:Tb nanoparticles were investigated to determine the energy level of electron transition related to luminescence processes. There were three peaks in the excited spectrum, and the major one was a broad band of around 274 nm. Also, the YAG:Tb nanoparticles showed two emission peaks in the range of 450×500 and 525×560 nm, respectively, and had maximum intensity at 545 nm.