Fabrication of Transparent Ce:Y₂O₃ Ceramics Using a HIP

Abstract

Polycrystal, transparent Y₂O₃ ceramics containing 1.1 mol% Ce was fabricated by the solid-state reaction method using high powders and utilizing a capsule-free HIP'ing. The optical transmittance of Ce:Y₂O₃ ceramics obtained was 70-85% in visible to infrared wavelength regions. Although the absorptions by Ce ions were observed at near 450 and 2600 nm, the fluorescence by Ce ions was hardly observed as seen in the Ce³⁺-doped YAG (Y₃Al₅O₁₂) single crystal fabricated by Czochralski method due to the formation of Ce⁴⁺ ions. The absorption coefficients of Ce:Y₂O₃ ceramics in near-infrared to infrared wavelength regions were very small like Nd-doped Y₂O₃ single crystals by Verneuil method or Nd-doped YAG single crystals by floating-zone method.