Green Emission from Calcium Zirconium Silicate Doped with Trivalent Terbium Phosphor

Trivalent terbium ion (Tb3+)-doped calcium zirconium silicate (Ca3ZrSi2O9) phosphors (Ca3ZrSi2O9:xTb(3+)), with molar composition 0.005 <= x <= 0.13, were effectively produced by the standard sol-gel method. The synthesized samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) excitation and PL emission. XRD spectral profiles of the prepared samples demonstrate the formation of a monoclinic structure. SEM micrographs of the Ca3ZrSi2O9:xTb(3+) phosphor samples show chunky solids interlocked in a tile-like pattern. The FT-IR spectra reveal the structure and bond activities of the samples. The PL excitation spectra demonstrate the 4f(8) -> 4f(7)5d(1) transitions of Tb3+ ions under 545 nm emission wavelength. The PL emission spectra of Tb3+ ions recorded under 243-nm excitation wavelength exhibit D-5(3) -> F-7(J) (J = 6, 5, 4) and D-5(4) -> F-7(J) (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions over the wavelength range of 350-650 nm. Of all these emission transitions, the one pertaining to the D-5(4) -> F-7(5) transition around 545 nm is strong and attributed to green emission. The photometric analysis also confirms the green emission from the Ca3ZrSi2O9:0.09Tb(3+) phosphor, which further supports its potential application in the fabrication of LEDs and in solid state display applications.

Automated summary

In this study, trivalent terbium ion-doped calcium zirconium silicate phosphors were successfully synthesized and characterized. The phosphors exhibit strong green emission, making them suitable for applications in LED manufacturing and solid state displays.