The Luminescence Properties and Thermal Stability of a Green-Blue Color Tunable Sr2SiO4:Tb3+, Ce3+ Phosphor

Abstract

In this paper, green-blue emitting Sr2SiO4 (SSO):0.03Tb3+, xCe3+ (x = 0–0.005) materials were synthesized via a solid-state reaction method. The crystal structures, luminescence properties, decay time, and thermal stability were measured in this work. The as-prepared phosphors exhibit both an indigo emission of Ce3+ and green emission of Tb3+ with considerable intensity (λex= 300 nm). Tb3+ ion emission was intensified obviously with co-doping Ce3+. The luminescence spectra of Sr2SiO4 (SSO):0.03Tb3+, Ce3+ shows characteristic line of Tb3+ ion transition (5D4 → 7F5). Tunable green-blue color can be obtained by the addition of Ce3+ ions. An effective energy transfer process between Tb3+ and Ce3+ was supposed and confirmed from decay curves. In addition, the energy transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Tb3+ ions in the Sr2SiO4 (SSO) host is electric multipolar interaction. Sr2SiO4 (SSO):Tb3+, Ce3+ phosphor exhibits good thermal stability, the quantum yield was about 43.67%, indicating a potential candidate for solid-state lighting. Sr2SiO4:Tb3+, Ce3+ phosphor can obtain tunable green-blue emission based on the energy transfer between Ce3+ and Tb3+ ion. Almost 90% of the luminescence intensity of SSO:0.03Tb3+, 0.003Ce3+ phosphor was retained after an increase in temperature to 200 °C.