New orange–red phosphor Sr9Sc(PO4)7:Eu3+ for NUV-LEDs application

• A novel orange–red phosphor Sr9Sc(PO4)7:Eu3+ has been synthesized and investigated.
• The phosphors can be effectively excited by near UV (394 nm) light.
• The thermal quenching temperature of Sr9Sc(PO4)7:Eu3+ is above 200 °C.

A series of Eu3+ ions doped Sr9Sc(PO4)7 orange–red emitting phosphors have been prepared by solid-state reaction method. Photoluminescence properties under near-ultraviolet (NUV) light excitation of the samples have been carried out. The studies show that the samples can be effectively excited by NUV (394 nm) which matches to the output wavelengths of near UV chips and exhibits intense orange–red emissions. Eu3+ concentration was found to be optimum at x = 0.4 and the thermal quenching temperature of Sr9Sc(PO4)7:0.4Eu3+ is above 200 °C. Thus, the intense orange red emitting phosphor could be a promising phosphor candidate in generating white light combined with the NUV chip.