Fabrication of Transparent Ce:Y2O3 Ceramics Using a HIP

Polycrystal, transparent Y2O3 ceramics containing 1.1 mol% Ce was fabricated by the solid-state reaction method using high powders and utilizing a capsule-free HIP'ing. The optical transmittance of Ce:Y2O3 ceramics obtained was 70-85% in visible to infrared wavelength regions. Although the absorptions by Ce ions were observed at near 450 and 2600 nm, the fluorescence by Ce ions was hardly observed as seen in the Ce3+-doped YAG (Y3Al5O12) single crystal fabricated by Czochralski method due to the formation of Ce4+ ions. The absorption coefficients of Ce:Y2O3 ceramics in near-infrared to infrared wavelength regions were very small like Nd-doped Y2O3 single crystals by Verneuil method or Nd-doped YAG single crystals by floating-zone method.