Enhanced thermal stability of Bi3+-doped CaGa2O4 phosphors for next-gen WLED applications
摘要
In recent years, Bi3+ -activated spinel phosphors have attracted growing attention for their potential in high-efficiency lighting. In this study, we unveil the mechanism underlying the enhanced thermal stability of green-yellow-emitting Bi3+ -doped CaGa2O4 phosphors (CaGa2O4:Bi3+), highlighting a notable negative thermal quenching effect. The synthesized CaGa2O4:Bi3+ phosphor exhibits a broad and intense green-yellow emission spectrum, with two distinct peaks at 528 nm and 583 nm. These bands correspond to the 3P1→ 1S0 transitions of Bi3+ ions occupying the [CaO₇] (C₇) and [CaO₈] (C₈) sites, respectively. Optimal luminescence is achieved with 0.75% Bi3+ doping and annealing at 1300 °C, yielding a high external quantum efficiency of 48.3%, a long lifetime of 0.64 ms, and remarkable thermal stability. Notably, as the measurement temperature increased from room temperature to 423 K, the enhancement of photoluminescence intensity increased by 121%, accompanied by a blue shift in the emission peak. This behavior is attributed to the thermally activated electron release from shallow traps and site-selective redistribution, favoring C₇ and C₈ centers. The electron population is found to be preferentially redistributed through the C7 center compared to the C8 center. Furthermore, an LED prototype incorporating this optimized phosphor and a 310 nm chip demonstrates strong potential for advanced white light-emitting-diode (WLED) applications.