Melting salt assisted sol–gel synthesis of blue phosphor Y2SiO5:Ce

High brightness Y2SiO5:Ce phosphor powders with spherical shape and fine size were synthesized by melting salt assisted sol–gel method (MS&Sol–Gel). Commercial tetraethyl orthosilicate was used as the silica source and rare earth oxides were used as rare earth source. The prepared Y2SiO5:Ce powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle sizer, and fluorescentometer techniques. Y2SiO5:Ce powders were obtained at significantly lower temperature than that by conventional techniques. When sintered at 1200 °C for 2 h with 5 wt.% LiF and 2 wt.% KH2PO4 as fluxes, particles with spherical shape and narrow particle distribution could be obtained. Moreover, the grain size of the powders prepared through this process was in the range of 2–7 μm, strongly depending on the thermal treatments and the species of fluxes. PL intensity of the prepared Y2SiO5:Ce phosphor using 5 wt.% LiF and 2 wt.% KH2PO4 as fluxes was similar to that of commercial product.