Planar defects in a precursor for phosphor materials:: SrAl2-xBxO4 (x<0.2)

The synthesis and structural characterization of a new precursor solid solution SrAl2-xBxO4 (0 < x < 0.2), for phosphor materials is reported. The synthesis temperature of SrAl2O4 is considerably reduced by B substitution. The new solid solution keeps the tridymite-like structure (P2(1)) characteristic of SrAl2O4. Microstructural characterization, by means of SAED and HREM, did not evidence additional ordering due to B doping. However, damage under the electron beam gives rise to complex defects, suggesting that B substitutes Al at tetrahedral positions in isolated planes along the [011] direction.