Abstract
The author reports the activities and issues on the Smart Science School (SSS) for junior high students. The junior high school students have learned at National Institute of Technology, Gunma College and carried out several experiments. In this paper, synthesis of fluorescent ceramics using a domestic microwave oven is reported. The participants learned the synthesis and characterization of the fluorescent ceramics. YVO4:Eu3+ fluorescent ceramics were prepared using a domestic microwave operated with 730 W. When the mixture of starting materials is a pellet form or the mass of them is larger, the desired phosphors were obtained after the irradiation of microwave. The X-ray diffraction patterns are in good agreement with those reported by other workers and the desired YVO4:Eu3+ phosphors could be prepared as single-phase materials.
