ZrO2-doped transparent glass-ceramics embedding ZnO nano-crystalline with enhanced defect emission for potential yellow-light emitter applications

ZrO2-doped transparent silicate glasses and glass-ceramics embedding ZnO nano-crystallines were synthesized. The effects of ZrO2 addition on the structure and optical properties of glass-ceramics were studied by DSC, XRD, SEM, IR, and PL spectra. The DSC results show that the crystallization ability of glass enhances with the addition of ZrO2. All the glass-ceramics after being heat-treated at 730 degrees C for 8 min can maintain a high transmittance in the visible range (>80%). With the increase of ZrO2 content, the grain size of ZnO nano-crystallines shows a tendency of decline, while the bandgap and the defect-related emission (580 nm) intensity attributed to ZnO is enhanced. When the ZrO2-doping content is 2.5 mol%, the yellow emission (580 nm) intensity of ZnO crystals reaches the highest under excitation at 345 nm, which is 21 folds higher than that of ZrO2-free glass-ceramics. These results imply that the glass-ceramics embedding ZnO nano-crystallines doped with ZrO2 would be a prospective candidate for yellow-light emitters.

Automated summary

The addition of ZrO2 enhances the crystallization ability of glass, reduces the grain size of ZnO nano-crystallines, and increases the bandgap and defect-related emission intensity of ZnO. After heat treatment, the glass-ceramics maintain high transparency, and the ZnO crystals exhibit the highest yellow emission intensity at a ZrO2 doping concentration of 2.5 mol%.