The Influence of Codopant Aluminum Ions (Al3+)‎ on the Optical Characteristics of YBO3:Sm3+ Phosphors

Abstract EN

The yttrium borate (YBO3) phosphors with codopants Al3+ and Sm3+ ions were prepared via the chemical coprecipitation method with one-hour thermal treatment at 1200°C.

From the XRD patterns, the codopant Al3+ does not change the crystal structures of YBO3:Sm3+ and these patterns indicate that the phosphors crystallize as the hexagonal structure.

Besides, the codopant Al3+ does not affect the wavelengths of emission bands but enhances the PL intensities of emission bands.

Under the wavelength 406 nm excitation source, the emission peaks locating at wavelengths 571 nm, 611 nm, and 657 nm are assigned to the electronic transitions 4G5/2→6H5/2, 4G5/2→6H7/2, and 4G5/2→6H9/2, respectively.

The PL intensities of phosphors Sm0.01Al xY0.99−x BO3 increase with the Al3+ ion concentration.

As the concentration of Al3+ ions increases to 3%, the PL intensity of Sm0.01Al xY0.99−x BO3 phosphor reaches its maximum intensity.

When the concentration of Al3+ ions is above 3%, the PL intensity of phosphor Sm0.01Al xY0.99−x BO3 decreases.

Comparing with the Sm0.01Y0.99BO3 phosphor, the PL intensity locating at wavelength 571 nm of Sm0.01Al0.03Y0.96BO3 phosphor is about 1.8 times stronger than the Sm0.01Y0.99BO3 phosphor.

It is believed that the codopant Al3+ can improve the luminescent characteristics of YBO3:Sm3+ phosphors.