Synthesis and characterization of YAG:Ce3+ LED nanophosphors

Nanophosphors of Y3Al5O12/Ce3+ (YAG/Ce) were synthesized with a novel salted sol-gel (SSG) method in which a water solution of inorganic salt, yttrium nitrate [Y(NO3)(3), YNO], was used with a traditional metal alkoxide precursor, aluminum sec-butoxide [Al(OC4H9)(3), ASB], in sol-gel synthesis. With the SSG method, a YAG single phase could be obtained by sintering the dry gel of Al2O3 and Y2O3 mixture for 2 h at 800 C. The YAG particle size was in a range from 30 to 100 nm. Luminescence properties of the YAG samples with different Ce3+ doping concentrations were studied. The peak intensity of luminescence was found at 4% Ce3+ doping concentration. Red shift of the emission peaks was observed when the doping concentration was increased. (c) 2006 The Electrochemical Society.