Structural, optical, and luminescence properties of Dy³⁺ -activated potassium calcium silicate phosphor for white...

A dysprosium (Dy³⁺ )-activated potassium calcium silicate (K₄ CaSi₃ O₉ ) phosphor was prepared using a solid-state synthesis route. The phosphor had a cubic structure with the space group Pa $$ as confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Details of surface morphology and elemental composition of the as-synthesized undoped KCS phosphor was obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The chemical structure as well as the vibrational modes present in the as-prepared KCS phosphor was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) were used to determine the optical bandgap of the phosphors and were found to be in the optical range 3.52-3.71 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed intense yellow emission corresponding to the ⁴ F_9/2 →⁶ H_13/2 transition under 350 nm excitation. Commission International de l'Eclairage colour chromaticity coordinates were evaluated using the PL spectral data lie within the white region. Dexter theory and the Inokuti-Hirayama (I-H) model were applied to study the nature of the energy transfer mechanism in the as-prepared phosphors. The relatively high activation energy of the phosphors was evaluated using temperature-dependent PL (TDPL) data and confirmed the high thermal stability of the titled phosphor. The abovementioned results indicated that the as-prepared KCS:Dy³⁺ phosphor was a promising candidate for n-UV-based white light-emitting diodes.