Template synthesis and luminescent properties of nano-sized YAG:Tb phosphors

Terbium-activated Y3Al5O12 (YAG:Tb) phosphor nanoparticles with homogeneous grain size and crystallinity have been prepared at 700 °C by a novel gel-network coprecipitation route using gelatin as a template. The products were characterized by using TG-DTA, XRD and TEM techniques. The diffraction profile of YAG:Tb nanoparticles could be indexed as a garnet structure and exhibited peak broadening phenomenon, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. The products appeared to be regular spherical or elliptical and sizes ranged from 40 to 55 nm. Furthermore, the photoluminescence spectra of the YAG:Tb nanoparticles were investigated to determine the energy level of electron transition related to luminescence processes. The effects of Tb concentration and the average grain size on the PL spectra were also studied.