Novel narrow-band blue light-emitting phosphor of Eu2+-activated silicate used for WLEDs

Owing to the broad application scope of phosphors for light and display, the development of narrow-band light-emitting phosphors has recently gained considerable research attention. In this study, a new type of narrow-band blue light-emitting phosphor, Rb2HfSi3O9:Eu2+, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 64 nm was synthesized successfully. Upon the near visible ultraviolet (NUV) light excitation, the internal quantum efficiency of Rb2HfSi3O9:Eu2+ was 68%. It also exhibited good thermal stability, which was higher than that of a commercial blue phosphor (BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+) at 150 °C. The significant photoluminescence properties of Rb2HfSi3O9:Eu2+ were found to be related to its robust crystal structure, which was investigated in detail. The results indicate that Eu2+-activated Rb2HfSi3O9 is a promising phosphor for use in white light-emitting diodes.