Photoluminescence characteristics of (Y,Gd)P0.5V0.5O4:Tm3+ phosphor particles prepared by coprecipitation reaction

A novel blue-emitting material, fine-particle phosphor (Y,Gd)P0.5V0.5O4:Tm3+, has been prepared via co-precipitation reaction. The phosphor particles were characterized by XRD, SEM, and photoluminescence under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, 147 nm) or ultraviolet (UV, 254 nm) excitation. The XRD patterns disclosed that (Y,Gd)P0.5V0.5O4:Tm3+ particles calcined at 1200 °C have the highest intensity. The SEM image showed that the size of the phosphor particles is uniform and submicron, and their morphology is regular and no agglomeration found. The fine particles blue-emitting material exhibits a narrow emission peak at 475 nm and a weak broad-band around 430 nm, whose intensity is dependent on the contents of Tm3+ and VO43−.