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A zero-thermal-quenching phosphor

Nature Materials volume 16, pages 543–550 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs) are efficient light sources used in lighting, high-tech displays, and electronic devices. One of the most significant challenges of pc-WLEDs is the thermal quenching, in which the phosphor suffers from emission loss with increasing temperature during high-power LED operation. Here, we report a blue-emitting Na3–2xSc2(PO4)3:xEu2+ phosphor (λem = 453 nm) that does not exhibit thermal quenching even up to 200 °C. This phenomenon of zero thermal quenching originates from the ability of the phosphor to compensate the emission losses and therefore sustain the luminescence with increasing temperature. The findings are explained by polymorphic modification and possible energy transfer from electron–hole pairs at the thermally activated defect levels to the Eu2+ 5d-band with increasing temperature. Our results could initiate the exploration of phosphors with zero thermal quenching for high-power LED applications.

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Figure 1: Structural characterization of new blue-emitting Na3Sc2(PO4)3:Eu2+(NSPO:xEu2+) phosphor.
Figure 2: Optical and zero-TQ property of NSPO:xEu2+ phosphor.
Figure 3: Polymorphism of NSPO:xEu2+ phosphor and its defect formation.
Figure 4: Zero-thermal-quenching process in NSPO:xEu2+ phosphor.
Figure 5: Performance of fabricated pc-LEDs under high flux operating current.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Strategic Key-Material Development and the Materials and Components Research and Development bodies, funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (Project No. 10044203, MKE, Korea). This work was also financially supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (NRF-2014R1A1A1002909 and 2016R1E1A2020571). This research was supported by a Global PhD Fellowship Program through the NRF funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2015H1A2A1033990).

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Author notes

  1. Ki Hyun Kim

    Present address: Present address: Medical Photonics Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), 9 Cheomdan venture-ro 108beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering and Optoelectronics Convergence Research Center, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea

    Yoon Hwa Kim, Paulraj Arunkumar, Bo Young Kim, Sanjith Unithrattil, Eden Kim, Su-Hyun Moon, Jae Young Hyun, Donghwa Lee, Jong-Sook Lee & Won Bin Im

  2. Lighting Sources and Materials Team, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), 9 Cheomdan venture-ro 108beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea

    Jae Young Hyun & Ki Hyun Kim

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Contributions

W.B.I. and Y.H.K. designed the concept and experiments. Y.H.K., B.Y.K. and E.K. performed all the experiments. W.B.I., P.A. and Y.H.K. analysed and contributed to the technical discussions of results, and wrote the manuscript. S.U. performed combined Rietveld refinement of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction results. S.-H.M. and J.-S.L. carried out high-temperature impedance analysis and interpreted the results. D.L. performed the DFT calculations. K.H.K., J.Y.H. and Y.H.K. measured and analysed the high-temperature decay curve results.

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Correspondence to Won Bin Im.

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Kim, Y., Arunkumar, P., Kim, B. et al. A zero-thermal-quenching phosphor. Nature Mater 16, 543–550 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4843

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