Nano-sized Y2O3 : Eu phosphor powders were prepared by spray pyrolysis. The precursor powders with a hollow morphology and thin walled structure were obtained from the spray solution with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, citric acid and boric acid turned into the Y2O3 : Eu phosphor powders with mean sizes of 140 and 450 nm at high post-treatment temperatures of 1050 and 1150 degrees C. The optimum concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and citric acid to prepare the nano-sized Y2O3 : Eu phosphor powders were each 0.1 M. The Y2O3 : Eu phosphor powders had regular morphologies and narrow size distributions. The mean crystallite sizes of the phosphor powders post-treated at temperatures of 1050 and 1150 degrees C were 40 and 44 nm. The phosphor powder post-treated at a temperature of 1050 degrees C had the highest photoluminescence intensity under vacuum ultraviolet illumination.

Keywords: spray pyrolysis; phosphor; nano powder; display materialIntroduction