Eu3+-activated Y2MoO6: a narrow band red-emitting phosphor with strong near-UV absorption

Near-UV excited narrow line red-emitting phosphors, Eu(3+)-activated Y2MoO6 systems, were synthesized using a simple molten salt reaction. The structure and photoluminescence characteristics were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, UV-Vis absorption and fluorescent spectrophotometry. The excitation spectra show strong broad-band absorptions in the near-UV to blue light regions which match the radiation of near-UV light-emitting diode chips well. Under excitation of either near-UV or blue light, intense red emission with a main peak of 611 nm is observed, ascribed to the (5)D0-(7)F2 transition of Eu(3+) ions; the optimal doping concentration is 20 mol%. The chromaticity coordinates (x = 0.65, y = 0.34) of the as-obtained phosphor are very close to the National Television Standard Committee standard values (x = 0.67, y = 0.33). All these characteristics suggest that this material is a promising red-emitting phosphor candidate for white-LEDs based on near-UV LED chips.