Novel Dy incorporated Ca3Y2B4O12 phosphor: Insights into the structure, broadband emission, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence characteristics.

This study reports cathodoluminescence (CL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties of undoped borate Ca3Y2B4O12 and Ca3Y2B4O12:x Dy3+ (x = 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7) synthesized by gel combustion method. Micro-X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), CL and PL under electron beam and 359 nm pulse laser excitation, respectively were used to investigate characterization and luminescence studies of synthesized samples in the visible wavelength. As-prepared samples match the standard Ca3Y2BO4 phase that belongs to the orthorhombic system with space group Pnma (62) based on XRD results. Under electron beam excitation, this borate host shows a broad band emission from about 250 to 450 nm, peaked at 370 nm which is attributed to NBHOC. All as-prepared phosphors exhibited the characteristic PL and CL emissions of Dy3+ ions corresponding to 4F9/2→6HJ transitions when excited with laser at 359 nm. The CL emission spectra of phosphors were identical to those of the PL spectra. Concentration quenching occurred when the doping concentration was 1 mol% in both the CL and PL spectra. The underlying reason for the concentration quenching phenomena observed in the discrete orange-yellow emission peaked at 574 nm of Dy3+ ion-doped Ca3Y2B4O12 phosphor is also discussed. According to these data, we can infer that this new borate can be used as a yellow emitting phosphor in solid-state illumination.