Synthesis of vacuum ultraviolet phosphors by self-flux method

Abstract

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) phosphors are inorganic optical materials used in mercury-free fluorescent lamps and plasma display panels (PDP). Promising red VUV phosphor, GdBO₃:Eu³⁺, were synthesized by a flux method. Studies of the phosphor synthesis reaction show that the flux (e.g., B₂O₃, RbCl) serves as an important reactant. The phosphor particles prepared by the flux method at 1100°C with RbCl flux had the highest PL intensity under VUV excitation (146 nm), which corresponded to 126 % of that of particles prepared from raw material mixture without flux.