Cathodoluminescence of Ce-doped Gd2SiO5 and Gd9.33(SiO4)6O2 phosphor under continuous electron irradiation

Cathodoluminescence was studied on well crystallized Ce-doped Gd2SiO5 (GSO:Ce) and Gd9.33(SiO4)6O2 (GSAP:Ce) prepared by calcining the hydrolyzed alkoxides at 1573 K because GSO:Ce is easily contaminated with GSAP:Ce impurity in solid state reaction. The luminescence efficiency of GSO:Ce was much higher than that of GSAP:Ce, and Stokes shift of the former was smaller than that of the latter, due to the crystal structural difference between the compounds in Gd2O3 and SiO2 binary chemical composition. The luminescence of GSO:Ce degraded much less than that of GSAP:Ce under the continuous electron irradiation (CL degradation). The CL degradation was related to the formation of the carbon overlayer on the phosphor particles from the vacuum ambient during the irradiation in the present manuscript. The amount of the deposited carbon was influenced by the luminescence efficiency.

Research highlights▶ GSO:Ce is stable under continuous electron irradiation. ▶ GSO:Ce has high luminescence efficiency. ▶ GSO:Ce has rigid crystal structure.