Trapping Parameters of Thermally Stimulated Luminescence Glow Curves in Y2O3: Tb3+ Nanophosphor

Abstract

AbstractThis paper reports the structural and thermoluminescence properties of terbium doped yttrium oxide nanophosphor. This terbium (Tb3+) activated yttrium oxide (Y2O3) compound was prepared by combustion synthesis method. The prepared compound was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Thermoluminescence (TL) techniques. The sharp and single peaks in XRD pattern indicate the existence of single phase in this compound. The crystallite size calculated by Debye–Scherrer formula was found in the range 10–20 nm. The Y2O3 nanophosphor exhibits the cubic (body centered-type) structure having unit cell dimension 10.60 Å with the space group Ia3. The structural parameters such as particle density (Dx), dislocation density (δ) and microstrain (ε) were also calculated from XRD. The phosphor was irradiated with gamma rays dose ranging from 250 Gy to 10 KGy for TL studies. This results in the TL glow curves showing a single peak at 325 °C. The intensity of this glow peak increases linearly with gamma dose up to 1.5 KGy. The composite TL glow peak was fitted by GlowFit program in order to obtain the isolated peaks. The trapping parameters associated with the isolated peaks were then calculated by using different glow curve analysis methods.KeywordsNanophosphorXRDThermoluminescenceTrapping parameter