Improved photoluminescence properties of a new green SrB2O4:Tb3+ phosphor by charge compensation

Highlights: ► New green-emitting SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+} phosphor was synthesized by solid-state reaction. ► Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, and K{sup +} can all increase luminescent intensity of SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+}. ► Na{sup +} is the optimal charge compensator among Li{sup +}, Na{sup +} and K{sup +}. ► SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+} is a promising green phosphor for fabricating WLED. -- Abstract: A new green-emitting SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+} phosphor was synthesized by solid-state reaction. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed all the samples with orthorhombic formation of SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The excitation spectra indicate the phosphor can be effectively excited by near ultraviolet (NUV) light, making it attractive as conversion phosphor for LED applications. The phosphor exhibits a bright green emission with the highest photoluminescence (PL) intensity at 544 nm excited by 378 nm light. The critical quenching concentration of Tb{sup 3+} in SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+} is about 10 mol%. The effects of charge compensators (Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, and K{sup +}) on photoluminescence of SrB{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+} were also studied. The results show that the emission intensity can be improved by all the three charge compensators and Na{sup +} is the optimal one for SrB{submore » 2}O{sub 4}:Tb{sup 3+}. All properties show that the phosphor is a promising green phosphor pumped by NUV InGaN chip for fabricating white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs).« less