Cathodoluminescence Emission Studies for Selected Phosphor-Based Sensor Materials

The current interest in returning to the Moon and Mars by 2030 makes cost effective and low mass health monitoring sensors essential for spacecraft development. In space, there are many surface measurements that are required to monitor the condition of the spacecraft including: surface temperature, radiation dose, and impact. Through the use of phosphors, these conditions can be monitored. Practical space-based phosphor sensors will depend heavily upon research investigating the resistance of phosphors to ionizing radiation and the ability to anneal or self-heal from damage caused by ionizing radiation. The cathodoluminescence (CL) testing was performed using the low energy electron system located at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. For the materials tested, several interesting results were observed. For most materials, increases in both beam energy and current density improved the CL fluorescence yield. It was also noted that YAG:Nd,Ce has the greatest near infrared intensity for any of the tested materials. The evaluation of dopant concentration in YPO₄:Nd showed minimal differences in spectral shape and intensity. While the total electron dose was small, the intention was to maximize the number of irradiated materials