Sintering Temperature Effect on the Luminescence Properties of Y2O3:Tb3+ Phosphors Synthesized using a Liquid-Phase Reaction

The photoluminescence properties of crystalline Y2O3:Tb3+ nanoparticles fabricated using a liquid-phase reaction have been examined over a certain sintering temperature range for dopant activation. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the size and the morphology of Y2O3:Tb3+ particles and disclosed the cubic Bragg peaks of the Y2O3:Tb3+ particles regardless of the sintering temperature with no substantial peak shift. The maximum photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity was observed from the Y2O3:Tb3+ phosphors sintered at 400 °C. The photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of the Y2O3:Tb3+ phosphors are composed of broad bands at ∼260 nm (∼4.7 eV) and shoulder bands at ∼306 nm (∼4.05 eV). The experimental results revealed that the particle size and the crystallinity of the Y2O3:Tb3+ phosphors played a critical role in the luminescence. Over the entire range of sintering temperatures, the room-temperature decay time was found to be ∼2.81 ms.