A strategy to design lanthanide doped dual-mode phosphor mediated spectral convertor for solar cell applications

Abstract

Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor by a facile high-temperature solid-state method as a spectral convertor for the enhancement of conversion efficiency of solar cell. The dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has cubic crystal structure with space group Ia3̅. The surface morphology of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The spectroscopic features of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor have been examined by photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). The dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor gives strong red emissions at 611nm and 663 upon excitation wavelengths of 200–500nm and 980nm, respectively. The dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has average lifetime ~ 598.7µs. Further, PL intensity distribution in dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor have been examined by PL confocal microscopy. The spatially resolved PL mapping results reveal that dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has PL emission throughout the sample at excitation wavelengths of 375nm and 980nm, respectively. Hence, the obtained results suggest that dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor could be a promising luminescent material for spectral convertor to improve the efficiency of next generation silicon solar cell.