A Novel Reddish-Orange-emitting Phosphor Ca3Gd7(PO4)(SiO4)5O2: Sm3+ for White Light-Emitting Diodes

Phosphor is the decisive material in white light-emitting diodes (WLED), affecting light quality. Silica phosphate has good stability, low cost and environmentally friendly features, so it has great application potential. In this paper, a self-activated reddish-orange phosphor Ca3Gd7(PO4)(SiO4)5O2: xSm3+ was prepared by the high-temperature solid-phase method. The phase purity of the sample was verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Rietveld refinement method was used to resolve further the sample structure and the location of the substitution of rare earth ions. The photoluminescence properties were studied in detail using fluorescence spectra, temperature-dependent emission spectra and other characterization methods. The electron transition and energy transfer processes of Gd3+ in Ca3Gd7(PO4)(SiO4)5O2 were analyzed. The fluorescence decay curve of the sample was obtained, which belongs to the double exponential curve, and the decay lifetime depending on the Sm3+ doping concentration was calculated. Furthermore, a WLED device was assembled, and warm white light was obtained, with a spectrum showing characteristic red emission, proving to complement the missing red component of commercial WLEDs. These results indicate that Ca3Gd7(PO4)(SiO4)5O2: xSm3+ phosphor has great potential for application.