Preparation and characterization of Y3Al5O12:Ln (Ln=Eu, Ce) phosphor powders by ultrasonic atomization and co-precipitation process

A novel technique for YAG:Ln (Ln=Eu, Ce) phosphor powder synthesis with a nanocrystalline structure was developed. Nanocrystalline YAG:Ln powder was prepared by an ultrasonic atomization and co-precipitation method using a mixture solution of ammonium hydroxide(NH3·H2O) and ammonium hydrogen carbonate(NH4HCO3) as precipitant. The as-prepared nano-powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence spectrometer. The obtained phosphor powders were homogenous and in size of 50-70 nm. The results demonstrated that by using ultrasonic atomization and co-precipitation process, we could synthesize a good quality YAG:Ln (Ln=Eu, Ce) phosphor powder that had many potential applications.