Facile synthesis of Ca-α-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor by the microwave sintering method and its photoluminescence properties

Lihong Liu,Rong-Jun Xie,Qing Huang,Xiaobing Zhou

doi:10.1007/s11434-012-5528-x

Abstract

Pure Ca-α-SiAlON:Eu2+ was synthesized by microwave sintering method at a relatively low temperature of 1550°C. Photoluminescence intensity of the resultant phosphor was higher than those of the samples synthesized by conventional gas-pressure sintering technique at 1750°C. When it was excited at 450 nm, the as-prepared yellow Ca-α-SiAlON:Eu2+ sample had an external quantum efficiency of 42%, comparable to the sample synthesized at 1750°C under 0.5 MPa N2 gas pressure by the GPS method reported in reference. The experimental results demonstrated that the microwave sintering method was also an interesting approach for synthesizing nitride phosphors, which promises lower firing temperature than those by carbothermal reduction and nitridation (CRN) methods, higher heating rate and shorter duration time compared with those by gas-pressure sintering.

Highlights

SPECIAL TOPICS: Facile synthesis of Ca- -SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor by the microwave sintering method and its photoluminescence properties
When it was excited at 450 nm, the as-prepared yellow Ca- -SiAlON:Eu2+ sample had an external quantum efficiency of 42%, comparable to the sample synthesized at 1750°C under 0.5 MPa N2 gas pressure by the gaspressure sintering (GPS) method reported in reference
It can be seen that the pure Ca- -SiAlON phase was obtained for the samples synthesized by microwave sintering technique (MWS) at 1550°C and by GPS at 1750°C, whereas unreacted Si3N4 was still remained in the sample prepared by the GPS method at 1550°C

Summary

Introduction

SPECIAL TOPICS: Facile synthesis of Ca- -SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor by the microwave sintering method and its photoluminescence properties. Photoluminescence intensity of the resultant phosphor was higher than those of the samples synthesized by conventional gas-pressure sintering technique at 1750°C. The experimental results demonstrated that the microwave sintering method was an interesting approach for synthesizing nitride phosphors, which promises lower firing temperature than those by carbothermal reduction and nitridation (CRN) methods, higher heating rate and shorter duration time compared with those by gas-pressure sintering. GRN and CRN [7,8] methods have been recently attempted to produce the fine or nano-scale phosphor particles at low temperatures. Both methods are not energy-saving, and have disadvantages of long heating time as well as duration time. Microwave sintering of Eu2+-doped Ca- -SiAlON phosphor was attempted, and the PL properties of the phosphor were investigated and discussed

Methods

Results

Conclusion