Influence of energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ on luminescence properties of CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ phosphors

CaSi2O2N2 phosphors co-doped with Ce3+ and Eu2+ was synthesized via solid-state reaction method. The experiments aimed at optimizing the composition of those phosphors for achieving the highest luminescence intensity as well as at shedding light in the mechanism that governs their luminescence behavior. The overlap of the blue emission spectrum due to Ce3+ with the yellow excitation spectrum due to Eu2+ suggests resonance-type energy transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Eu2+ taking place in the CaSi2O2N2 host lattice, where electric dipole–dipole interactions dominate. The properties of the produced phosphors qualify them for further consideration in the technology of white light-emitting diodes.