Luminescent characteristics of layered yttrium oxide nano-phosphors doped with europium

The luminescence and structural properties of layered Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ phosphors, synthesized by a simple evaporation method followed by thermal annealing at temperatures up to 1100 °C, are described for a europium doping concentration of 4.3 at. % as determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy. The intense luminescence emission spectra of these samples are associated with the characteristic intra-electronic energy levels of Eu³⁺ ion transitions. The dominant emission peak is at 611 nm, corresponding to the ⁵D₀ to ⁷F₂ transition, and the dominant excitation peak is at λ_exc = 245 nm. A layered morphology was observed in these phosphors by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy studies. The samples have a cubic crystalline structure.