Formation and Luminescence Enhancement of Agglomerate-Free YAG : Ce3 + Submicrometer Particles by Flame-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis

Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce 3+ (YAG:Ce 3+ ) particles were successfully fabricated by flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) combined with low-temperature annealing. The direct synthesis by FASP produced YAlO 3 in the hexagonal phase. However, the phase changed completely to the garnet phase after being heat-treated at a temperature as low as 900°C for 2 h. The heat-treated particles were spherical and nonagglomerated. Increasing annealing temperature as well as annealing time improved the particles' crystallinity. The heat-treated particles showed a photoluminescence (PL) intensity comparable to that of commercial products prepared by the solid-state method. In addition, plotting the particles' crystallinity and PL intensity showed the direct correlation between both parameters. In short, improvement of the particles' crystallinity intensified the PL intensity. Comparing the particles' measured and calculated sizes led to the conclusion that YAG:Ce 3+ particle formation by FASP can be considered as a one-droplet-to-one-particle mechanism.

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