Low-temperature synthesis and characterization of yttrium–gallium garnet Y3Ga5O12 (YGG)

To obtain yttrium–gallium garnet (Y3Ga5O12, YGG) a simple “chimie douce” method has been developed. This sol–gel method yielded excellent starting gel precursor for the fabrication of YGG phase, which could be used as host material for optical applications. The pattern of X-ray diffraction analysis of the ceramic sample sintered for 10 h at 1000 °C showed the formation of monophasic Y3Ga5O12 phase. The phase transformations, composition and micro-structural features in the gels and polycrystalline sample were studied by thermoanalytical methods (TGA/DTA), powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The quality of the resulting products (homogeneity, crystallisation temperature, grain size, grain size distribution, etc.) is discussed.