Abstract
New white-light-emitting $SrSnO_3:Dy^{3+}$ phosphors were prepared using different concentrations of $Dy^{3+}$ ions via a solid-state reaction. The phase structure, luminescence, and morphological properties of the synthesized phosphors were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. All the synthesized phosphors crystallized in an orthorhombic phase with a major (020) diffraction peak, irrespective of the concentration of $Dy^{3+}$ ions. The excitation spectra were composed of a broad band centered at 298 nm, ascribed to the $O^2-Dy^{3+}$ charge transfer band and five weak bands in the range of 350~500 nm. The emission spectra of $SrSnO_3:Dy^{3+}$ phosphors consisted of three bands centered at 485, 577, and 665 nm, corresponding to the $^4F_{9/2}{\rightarrow}^6H_{15/2}$, $^4F_{9/2}{\rightarrow}^6H_{13/2}$, and $^4F_{9/2}{\rightarrow}^6H_{11/2}$ transitions of $Dy^{3+}$, respectively. As the $Dy^{3+}$ concentration increased from 1 to 15 mol%, the intensities of all the emission bands gradually increased, reached maxima at 15 mol% of $Dy^{3+}$ ions, and then decreased rapidly at 20 mol% due to concentration quenching. The critical distance between neighboring $Dy^{3+}$ ions for concentration quenching was calculated to be $9.4{\AA}$. The optimal white light emission by the $SrSnO_3:Dy^{3+}$ phosphors was obtained when the $Dy^{3+}$ concentration was 15 mol%.
