Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of Tb3+-Doped Aluminum Oxynitride

Abstract

We report an experimental study concerned with the synthesis and luminescence properties of Al5O6N aluminum oxynitride doped with Tb3+ in the concentration range 0.025–0.5 at %. All of the samples, prepared by firing appropriate mixtures in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1600°C, consisted predominantly of phase-pure γ-ALON (Al5O6N), with small amounts of impurity phases: Al7O3N5 aluminum oxynitride and Tb3Al5O12 terbium aluminate. Their pulsed cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence spectra contain emission bands typical of Tb3+ ions. The concentration threshold for luminescence quenching corresponds to a Tb3+ concentration at a level of 0.4 at %. A Tb3+ cross relaxation effect found in Al5O6N:Tb3+ is discussed and photoluminescence spectra are shown to be inhomogeneous at low Tb3+ concentrations in Al5O6N.