Enhanced green photoluminescence of erbium doped Zn2SiO4 glass-ceramics as phosphor in optoelectronic devices

Abstract This paper reported the fabrication of Er3+-doped zinc silicate (Zn2SiO4:xEr3+) glass-ceramics using recycle waste glass bottles. The glass-ceramics samples were synthesized with different percentage doping of Er2O3 using conventional melting and quenching method. The structural of α-Zn2SiO4:Er3+ crystal phase and microstructure growth were analysed via X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has confirmed the network structure of α-Zn2SiO4:Er3+ crystal phase. The three excited transition states from UV–visible absorption spectra were enhanced significantly at the states 4F7/2, 2H11/2, 4F9/2. The wide-ranging green emission at around 553–559 nm under excitation 385 nm from α-Zn2SiO4:Er3+ crystal exhibit the energy transition of Er3+ ions from 4S3/2 → 4I15/2. Such luminescence of α-Zn2SiO4:Er3+ based glass-ceramics are probably to have a huge prospective application for glass phosphor devices.