Microstructure, and luminescence properties of LiBaPO4:Dy3+ phosphors with various Dy3+ concentrations prepared by microwave assisted sintering

LiBaPO4:Dy3+ phosphors were synthesized by microwave-assisted and conventional sintering. XRD analysis confirmed the phase formation of all the LiBaPO4:Dy3+ phosphors. PL results showed that the optimum concentration of Dy3+ for LiBaPO4:Dy3+ prepared by microwave-assisted sintering is 7 mol%. The phosphors were efficiently excited by the UV-vis light region from 300 to 400 nm, and exhibited blue (483 nm), yellow (576 nm) and red (671 nm) emission corresponding to 4F9/2→6H15/2, 6H13/2, and 6H11/2 transitions, respectively. The microwave-assisted sintering improves the sintering behavior and provides a more uniform particle morphology of LiBa0.03PO4:0.07Dy3+ phosphors so as to obtain a luminescence intensity greater than that obtained by conventional sintering even at the same sintering temperature. Moreover, all the chromaticity (x, y) of the LiBa0.03PO4:0.07Dy3+ phosphors are located in the white region (0.33, 0.37) even on using microwave-assisted sintering as the heat treatment did not influence the purity of LiBa0.03PO4:0.07Dy3+ phosphors.