Synthesis and luminescent properties of Eu3+-doped ZnO phosphors

Abstract

Eu3+-doped ZnO phosphors were prepared with different concentrations of Eu3+ ions by using a solid-state reaction method. The synthesized samples were systematically characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The XRD patterns indicate that the intensity of the ZnO (101) peak gradually increases with increasing concentration of Eu3+ ions, with an additional Eu2O3 (222) diffraction peak appearing in samples with Eu3+ concentrations above 2 wt%. All of the phosphor samples, irrespective of the concentration of Eu3+ ion, show a dominant red emission centered at 612 nm, which originates from the 5D0 → 7F2 electric dipole transition of the Eu3+ ion. This suggests that the Eu3+ ions are mainly situated in the asymmetry centers of the host lattice.