Crystallization behaviour of neodymium doped yttrium silicate nanophosphors

Abstract

Sol–gel technique was used to prepare yttrium silicate powders doped with 0.01Nd 3+. The crystallite sizes were determined to be 23 ± 0.5 nm from the XRD patterns of the powders annealed at 960 °C. The Y 4.67(SiO 4) 3O, Y 2Si 2O 7 and Y 2SiO 5 crystalline phases were observed upon heat treatment at 960 °C which is much lower than 1500–1650 °C are reported before.