Microwave-induced small size effect of (Ba, Sr)3MgSi2O8:0.06Eu2+, 0.1Mn2+ phosphor for 660 nm-featured bio-lighting

The 660 nm-featured (Ba, Sr) 3MgSi2O8:0.06Eu(2 +), 0.1Mn(2+)(AMS-EM) phosphor in violet for red/blue bio-lighting LEDs was prepared by 2.45 GHz microwave (MW) high temperature firing procedure. The phase-pure host phase, (Ba, Sr) 3MgSi2O8, was formed to be responsible for simultaneous red band emission from Mn ion and blue band emission from Eu ion, while the formation of an impurity phase of Sr2SiO4 responsible for 505 nm-peaked green band emission for Eu ion was effectively suppressed owing to MW fast-heating procedure. Small sized and agglomeration-free phosphor particles were either observed, which was probably resulted from suppressing the grain growth in as-formed host particles, compared with conventional high-temp solid state (SS) reaction firing procedure. These results indicate that high-temp MW firing procedure is suitable for preparing this simultaneously red- and blue-emitting AMS-EM phosphor in the application of bio-lighting for plant cultivation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.