All Topics  
Phosphor

 
Phosphor

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Phosphor



 
 
A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon
Optical phenomenon

An optical phenomenon is any observable event which results from the interaction of light and matter. See also list of optical topics and optics....
 of phosphorescence
Phosphorescence

File:Phosphorescence.jpgFile:Phosphorescent.jpgPhosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescent. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs....
 (sustained glowing after exposure to energized particles such as electrons or ultraviolet
Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than x-rays, in the range 400 nanometer to 10 nm, and energies from 3 Electron volt to 124 eV....
 photon
Photon

In physics, the photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic field and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation....
s).

Phosphors are transition metal
Transition metal

In chemistry, the term transition metal has two possible meanings:*It commonly refers to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, including the group 12 element elements zinc, cadmium and Mercury ....
 compounds or rare earth
Rare earth element

According to IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids....
 compounds of various types. The most common uses of phosphors are in CRT
Cathode ray tube

The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen, with internal or external means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam, used to create images in the form of light emitted from the fluorescent screen....
 displays and fluorescent lights.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Phosphor'
Start a new discussion about 'Phosphor'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Ibm Pc 5150
A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon
Optical phenomenon

An optical phenomenon is any observable event which results from the interaction of light and matter. See also list of optical topics and optics....
 of phosphorescence
Phosphorescence

File:Phosphorescence.jpgFile:Phosphorescent.jpgPhosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescent. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs....
 (sustained glowing after exposure to energized particles such as electrons or ultraviolet
Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than x-rays, in the range 400 nanometer to 10 nm, and energies from 3 Electron volt to 124 eV....
 photon
Photon

In physics, the photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic field and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation....
s).

Phosphors are transition metal
Transition metal

In chemistry, the term transition metal has two possible meanings:*It commonly refers to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, including the group 12 element elements zinc, cadmium and Mercury ....
 compounds or rare earth
Rare earth element

According to IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids....
 compounds of various types. The most common uses of phosphors are in CRT
Cathode ray tube

The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen, with internal or external means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam, used to create images in the form of light emitted from the fluorescent screen....
 displays and fluorescent lights. CRT phosphors were standardized beginning around World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 and designated by the letter "P" followed by a number.

Note: phosphorus
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....
, the chemical element, can emit light under certain conditions, but this is due to chemiluminescence, not phosphorescence.


Materials

Phosphors are usually made from a suitable host material, to which an activator is added. The best known type is a copper-activated zinc sulfide and the silver-activated zinc sulfide (zinc sulfide silver).

The host materials are typically oxide
Oxide

An oxide is a chemical compound contaning at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides....
s, nitride
Nitride

In chemistry a nitride is a compound of nitrogen with a less electronegative element where nitrogen has an oxidation state of -3. Note that there are exceptions to this naming convention, the nitrides of hydrogen, NH3 and carbon, 2, are called ammonia and cyanogen respectively and that the nitrides of chlorine, bromine,...
s and oxynitrides, sulfide
Sulfide

The term sulfide refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of −2.Formally, "sulfide" is the dianion, S2−, which exists in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions formed from H2S or alkali metal salts such as Li2S, Na2S, and K2...
s, selenide
Selenide

The selenide ion is Se2-.A selenide is a chemical compound in which selenium serves as an anion with oxidation number of −2, much as sulfur does in a sulfide....
s, halide
Halide

A halide is a binary compound, of which one part is a halogen atom and the other part is an chemical element or radical that is less electronegative than the halogen, to make a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, or astatide compound....
s or silicate
Silicate

A silicate is a compound containing an anion in which one or more central silicon atoms are surrounded by electronegative ligands. This definition is broad enough to include species such as hexafluorosilicate , [SiF6]2-, but the silicate species that are encountered most often consist of silicon with oxygen as the ligand...
s of zinc
Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
, cadmium
Cadmium

Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. A relatively abundant , soft, bluish-white, transition metal, cadmium is known to cause cancer and occurs with zinc ores....
, manganese
Manganese

Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a Oxidation state in nature , and in many minerals....
, aluminum, silicon
Silicon

Silicon is the most common metalloid. It is a chemical element, which has the symbol Si and atomic number 14. The atomic mass is 28.0855....
, or various rare earth
Rare earth element

According to IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids....
 metals. The activators prolong the emission time (afterglow). In turn, other materials (eg. nickel
Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....
) can be used to quench the afterglow and shorten the decay part of the phosphor emission characteristics.

Many phosphor powders are produced in low-temperature processes, such as sol-gel and usually require post-annealing at temperatures of ~1000 0C, which is undesirable for many applications. However, proper optimization of the growth process allows to avoid the annealing.

The commonly quoted parameters for phosphors are the wavelength
Wavelength

In physics, wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating wave of a given frequency. It is commonly designated by the Greek language letter lambda ....
 of emission maximum (in nanometers, or alternatively color temperature
Color temperature

Color temperature is a characteristic of visible light that has important applications in lighting, photography, videography, publishing, and other fields....
 in Kelvins for white blends), the peak width (in nanometers at 50% of intensity), and decay time (in seconds).

Phosphor Thermometry

Phosphor thermometry
Phosphor thermometry

Phosphor thermometry is an optical method for surface temperature measurement. The method exploits luminescence emitted by phosphor material. Phosphors are fine white or pastel-colored inorganic powders which may be stimulated by any of a variety of means to luminesce, i.e....
 is a temperature measurement approach that utilizes the temperature dependence of certain phosphors for this purpose. For this, a phosphor coating is applied to a surface of interest and, usually, the decay time is the emission parameter that indicates temperature. Because the illumination and detection optics can be situated remotely, the method may be used for moving surfaces such as high speed motor surfaces. Also, phosphor may be applied to the end of an optical fiber as an optical analog of a thermocouple.

Glow-in-the-dark toys


  • Calcium sulfide
    Calcium sulfide

    Calcium sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula CaS. This white material crystallizes in cubes like rock salt. CaS has been studied as a component in a process that would recycle gypsum, a product of flue gas desulfurization....
     with strontium sulfide
    Strontium sulfide

    Strontium sulfide is used as an additive in fireworks because it creates a bright red flame when burnt.References External links...
     with bismuth
    Bismuth

    Bismuth is a chemical element that has the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. This heavy, brittle, white crystalline trivalent poor metal has a pink tinge and chemically resembles arsenic and antimony....
     as activator, (Ca,Sr)S:Bi, yields blue light with glow times up to 12 hours, red and orange are modifications of the zinc sulfide formula. Red color can be obtained from strontium sulfide.


  • Zinc sulfide
    Zinc sulfide

    Zinc sulfide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula ZincSulfur. Zinc sulfide is a white- to yellow-colored powder or crystal. It is typically encountered in the more stable cubic form, known also as zinc blende or sphalerite....
     with about 5 ppm of a copper
    Copper

    Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
     activator is the most common phosphor for the glow-in-the-dark toys and items. It is also called GS phosphor.


  • Mix of zinc sulfide and cadmium sulfide
    Cadmium sulfide

    Cadmium Sulfur is a chemical compound with the formula CdS. Cadmium sulfide is yellow in colour and is a semiconductor. It exists in nature as two different minerals, greenockite and hawleyite....
     emit color depending on their ratio; increasing of the CdS content shifts the output color towards longer wavelengths; its persistence ranges between 1-10 hours.


  • Strontium aluminate
    Strontium aluminate

    Strontium aluminate is a solid odorless, nonflammable, pale yellow powder, heavier than water. It is chemically and biologically inert. When activated with a suitable dopant , it acts as a photoluminescence phosphor with long persistence of phosphorescence....
     activated by europium
    Europium

    Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. It was named after the continent Europe.Characteristics ...
    , SrAl2O4:Eu(II):Dy(III), is a newer material with higher brightness and significantly longer glow persistence; it produces green and aqua hues, where green gives the highest brightness and aqua the longest glow time. SrAl2O4:Eu:Dy is about 10 times brighter, 10 times longer glowing, and 10 times more expensive than ZnS:Cu. The excitation wavelengths for strontium aluminate range from 200 to 450 nm. The wavelength for its green formulation is 520 nm, its blue-green version emits at 505 nm, and the blue one emits at 490 nm. Colors with longer wavelengths can be obtained from the strontium aluminate as well, though for the price of some loss of brightness.


In these applications, the phosphor is directly added to the plastic
Plastic

Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic chemistry solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products....
 from which the toys are molded, or mixed with a binder for use as paints.

ZnS:Cu phosphor is used in glow-in-the-dark cosmetic creams frequently used for Halloween
Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic mythology of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a Secularity celebration, but some Christians and Paganism have expressed strong feelings about its religious overtones....
 make-ups.

Generally, the persistence of the phosphor increases as the wavelength increases.

See also lightstick
Lightstick

File:Glowstick.svgA glow stick is a single-use translucent plastic tube containing isolated substances which when combined are capable of producing light through a chemical reaction-induced chemoluminescence which does not require an electrical power source....
 for chemiluminescence-based glowing items.

Radioactive light sources

Mixtures of zinc sulfide with radioactive materials, where the phosphor was excited by the alpha- and beta-decaying isotopes, were used to paint dials of watch
Watch

A watch is a timepiece that is made to be worn on a person. The term now usually refers to a wristwatch, which is worn on the wrist with a strap or bracelet....
es and instruments. The formula used on watch dials between 1913 and 1950 was a mix of radium
Radium

Radium is a radioactive chemical element which has the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. Its appearance is almost pure white, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, turning black....
-228 and radium-226 with a scintillator
Scintillator

A scintillator is a material which exhibits the property of luminescence when excited by ionizing radiation. Luminescent materials, when struck by an incoming particle, absorb its energy and scintillate, i.e....
 made of zinc sulfide and silver (ZnS:Ag). However, zinc sulfide undergoes degradation of its crystal lattice structure, leading to gradual loss of brightness significantly faster than the depletion of radium.

The ZnS:Ag phosphor yields greenish glow. It is not suitable to be used in layers thicker than 25 mg/cm², as the self-absorption of the light then becomes a problem. ZnS:Ag coated spinthariscope
Spinthariscope

A Spinthariscope is a device for observing individual Radioactive_decay caused by the interaction of ionizing radiation with a phosphor or scintillator....
 screens were used by Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, Order of Merit , Royal Society was a New Zealand-born British chemist who became known as the father of nuclear physics....
 in his experiments discovering atomic nucleus
Atomic nucleus

The nucleus of an atom is the very dense region, consisting of nucleons , at the center of an atom. Although the size of the nucleus varies considerably according to the mass of the atom, the size of the entire atom is comparatively constant....
.

Copper-activated zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu) is the most common phosphor used. It yields blue-green light.

Copper and magnesium activated zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu,Mg) yields yellow-orange light.

Trasers are light producing devices composed of a sealed borosilicate glass
Borosilicate glass

File:Schott Duran glassware.jpgBorosilicate glass is a type of glass with the main glass-forming constituents silicon dioxide and boron oxide....
 tube with inner coat of a phosphor, filled with tritium
Tritium

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The atomic nucleus of tritium contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of Hydrogen atom contains one proton and no neutrons....
. Betalights use tritium as energy source as well.

Electroluminescence

Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence

Electroluminescence is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to an electric current passed through it, or to a strong electric field....
 can be exploited in light sources. Such sources typically emit from a large area, which makes them suitable for backlights of eg. LCD displays. The excitation of the phosphor is usually achieved by application of high-intensity electric field
Electric field

In physics, the space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field has a property called an electric field ....
, usually with suitable frequency. Current electroluminescent light sources tend to degrade with use, resulting in their relatively short operation lifetimes.

Luc Viatour Phosphore Poudre
  • ZnS:Cu was the first formulation successfully displaying electroluminescence, tested at 1936 by Georges Destriau in Madame Marie Curie laboratories in Paris.


Indium tin oxide
Indium tin oxide

Indium tin oxide is a solid solution of indium oxide and tin oxide , typically 90% In2O3, 10% SnO2 by weight....
 (ITO, also known under trade name IndiGlo) composite is used in some Timex watches, though as the electrode material, not as a phosphor itself. "Californeon" is another trade name of an electroluminescent material, used in electroluminescent light strips.

See also .

White LEDs

White light-emitting diode
Light-emitting diode

A light-emitting diode , is an electronic light source. The LED was discovered in the early 20th century, and introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962....
s are usually blue InGaN
Ingan

Ingan is a village in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 32?26'5N 74?43'5E with an altitude of 256 metres .References...
 LEDs with a coating of a suitable material. Cerium
Cerium

Cerium is a chemical element with the symbol Ce and atomic number 58....
(III)-doped YAG (YAG:Ce3+, or Y3Al5O12:Ce3+) is often used; it absorbs the light from the blue LED and emits in a broad range from greenish to reddish, with most of output in yellow. The pale yellow emission of the Ce3+:YAG can be tuned by substituting the cerium with other rare earth elements such as terbium
Terbium

Terbium is a chemical element with the symbol Tb and atomic number 65....
 and gadolinium
Gadolinium

Gadolinium is a chemical element that has the symbol Gd and atomic number 64....
 and can even be further adjusted by substituting some or all of the aluminium in the YAG with gallium. However, this process is not one of phosphorescence. The yellow light is produced by a process known as scintillation
Scintillation

Scintillation can refer to:*Scintillation , the play of light off the faceted surfaces of gemstones*Scintillation , atmospheric effects which influence astronomical observations...
, the complete absence of an afterglow being one of the characteristics of the process.

White LEDs can also be made by coating near ultraviolet (NUV) emitting LEDs with a mixture of high efficiency europium
Europium

Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. It was named after the continent Europe.Characteristics ...
 based red and blue emitting phosphors plus green emitting copper and aluminium doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu,Al). This is a method analogous to the way fluorescent lamp
Fluorescent lamp

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to Excited state mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluorescence, producing Light....
s work.

A Mg0.1Sr1.88SiO4:Eu0.02 phosphor tuned to emit at blue and yellow (459/564 nm) is being investigated as a promising candidate.

Cathode ray tubes

Cathode-ray tubes produce signal-generated light patterns in a (typically) round or rectangular format. Bulky CRTs were used in the black-and-white household television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 ("TV") sets that became popular in the 1950s, as well as first-generation, tube-based color TVs, and most earlier computer monitors. CRTs have also been widely used in scientific and engineering instrumentation, such as oscilloscope
Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows signal voltages to be viewed, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences plotted as a function of time or of some other voltage ....
s, usually with a single phosphor color, typically green.

White (in black-and-white): The mix of zinc cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide silver, the ZnS:Ag+(Zn,Cd)S:Ag is the white P4 phosphor used in black and white television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 CRTs.

Red: Yttrium
Yttrium

Yttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanoids and has historically been classified as a rare earth element....
 oxide
Oxide

An oxide is a chemical compound contaning at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides....
-sulfide
Sulfide

The term sulfide refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of −2.Formally, "sulfide" is the dianion, S2−, which exists in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions formed from H2S or alkali metal salts such as Li2S, Na2S, and K2...
 activated with europium
Europium

Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. It was named after the continent Europe.Characteristics ...
 is used as the red phosphor in color CRTs. The development of color TVs took a long time due to the long search for a red phosphor. The first red emitting rare earth phosphor, YVO4,Eu3, was introduced by Levine and Palilla as a primary color in television in 1964.

Yellow: When mixed with cadmium sulfide
Cadmium sulfide

Cadmium Sulfur is a chemical compound with the formula CdS. Cadmium sulfide is yellow in colour and is a semiconductor. It exists in nature as two different minerals, greenockite and hawleyite....
, the resulting zinc cadmium sulfide (Zn,Cd)S:Ag, provides strong yellow light.

Green: Combination of zinc sulfide with copper
Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
, the P31 phosphor or ZnS:Cu, provides green light peaking at 531 nm, with long glow.

Blue: Combination of zinc sulfide with few ppm of silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
, the ZnS:Ag, when excited by electrons, provides strong blue glow with maximum at 450 nm, with short afterglow with 200 nanosecond duration. It is known as the P22B phosphor. This material, zinc sulfide silver, is still one of the most efficient phosphors in cathode ray tube
Cathode ray tube

The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen, with internal or external means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam, used to create images in the form of light emitted from the fluorescent screen....
s. It is used as a blue phosphor in color CRTs.

The phosphors are usually poor electrical conductors. This may lead to deposition of residual charge on the screen, effectively decreasing the energy of the impacting electrons due to electrostatic repulsion (an effect known as "sticking"). To eliminate this, a thin layer of aluminium is deposited over the phosphors and connected to the conductive layer inside the tube. This layer also reflects the phosphor light to the desired direction, and protects the phosphor from ion bombardment resulting from an imperfect vacuum.

  • ZnS
    Zinc sulfide

    Zinc sulfide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula ZincSulfur. Zinc sulfide is a white- to yellow-colored powder or crystal. It is typically encountered in the more stable cubic form, known also as zinc blende or sphalerite....
    :Ag+(Zn,Cd)S:Ag
    (P4), white phosphor for black and white TV screens and display tubes
  • ZnS:Cu,Al (P22G), green phosphor for TV screens
  • ZnS:Ag+Co-on-Al2O3 (P22B), blue phosphor for TV
    Television

    Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
     screens
  • ZnS:Ag,Cl or ZnS:Zn (P11, BE), blue (460 nm), 0.01-1 ms persistence, for display tubes and vacuum fluorescent display
    Vacuum fluorescent display

    A vacuum fluorescent display is a display device used commonly on consumer-electronics equipment such as video cassette recorders, car radios, and microwave ovens....
    s
  • (Zn,Cd)S:Ag or (Zn,Cd)S:Cu (P20, KA), yellow-green, 1-100 ms persistence, for display tubes
  • (Zn,Cd)S:Cu,Cl (P28, KE), yellow, for display tubes
  • ZnS:Cu or ZnS:Cu,Ag (P31, GH), yellowish-green, 0.01-1 ms persistence, for oscilloscope
    Oscilloscope

    An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows signal voltages to be viewed, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences plotted as a function of time or of some other voltage ....
    s
  • ZnS:Ag+(Zn,Cd)S:Cu (P40, GA), white, for display tubes
  • ZnS:Ag,Al (P55, BM), blue (450 nm), for projection tubes
  • ZnS:Ag, blue (450 nm)
  • ZnS:Cu,Al or ZnS:Cu,Au,Al, green (530 nm)
  • (Zn,Cd)S:Cu,Cl+(Zn,Cd)S:Ag,Cl, white
  • ZnS:Ag+ZnS:Cu+Y2O2S:Eu, white, Cd-free replacement for P4, black and white CRT tubes, display tubes


  • Zn2SiO4:Mn (P1, GJ), yellowish-green (525 nm), 1-100 ms persistence, for display tubes
  • Zn2SiO4:Mn,As (P39, GR), green (525 nm), for display tubes
  • Y2SiO5:Ce (P47, BH), blue (400 nm), for beam index tubes
  • Y2SiO5:Tb, green (545 nm), for projection tubes


  • ZnO
    Zinc oxide

    Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the Chemical formula ZnO. It usually appears as a white powder, nearly insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods , batteries,...
    :Zn
    (P24, GE), green (505 nm), 1-10 µs persistence, for vacuum fluorescent displays


  • Gd2O2S
    Gadolinium oxysulfide

    Gadolinium oxysulfide , also called gadolinium sulfoxylate or GOS, is an inorganic compound, a mixed oxide-sulfide of gadolinium. Its CAS number is ....
    :Tb
    (P43, GY), yellow-green (545 nm), for display tubes
  • Y2O2S:Eu+Fe2O3 (P22R), red phosphor for TV screens
  • Y2O2S:Tb (P45, WB), white (545 nm), for viewfinders
  • Y2O2S:Tb, green (545 nm), for display tubes
  • Y3Al5O12:Ce (P46, KG), green (530 nm), for beam index tubes
  • Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Ce, green (520 nm), for beam index tubes
  • Y3Al5O12:Tb (P53, KJ), yellow-green (544 nm), for projection tubes
  • Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Tb, yellow-green (544 nm), for projection tubes


  • MgF2
    Magnesium fluoride

    Magnesium fluoride is a white crystalline salt composed of one magnesium ion and two fluoride ions, and is used in the electrolysis of aluminium ore and anti-reflective coatings....
    :Mn
    (P33, LD), orange (590 nm), over 1 second persistence, for radar
    Radar

    Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic radiation waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain....
     screens
  • (KF,MgF2):Mn (P19, LF), yellow (590 nm), for radar
    Radar

    Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic radiation waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain....
     screens
  • (KF,MgF2):Mn (P26, LC), orange (595 nm), over 1 second persistence, for radar
    Radar

    Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic radiation waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain....
     screens
  • (Zn,Mg)F2:Mn (P38, LK), orange (590 nm), for radar screens


  • InBO3:Tb, yellow-green (550 nm)
  • InBO3:Eu, yellow (588 nm)
  • InBO3:Tb+InBO3:Eu, amber
  • InBO3:Tb+InBO3:Eu+ZnS:Ag, white


Fluorescent lamps

  • (Ba,Eu)Mg2Al16O27, blue phosphor for trichromatic fluorescent lamp
    Fluorescent lamp

    A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to Excited state mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluorescence, producing Light....
    s
  • (Ce,Tb)MgAl11O19, green phosphor for trichromatic fluorescent lamps (546 nm, peak width 9 nm)
  • BaMgAl10O17:Eu,Mn, blue (450 nm), for trichromatic lamps
  • BaMg2Al16O27:Eu(II), blue (450 nm, peak width 52 nm), for trichromatic lamps
  • BaMgAl10O17:Eu,Mn, blue-green (456/514 nm)
  • BaMg2Al16O27:Eu(II),Mn(II), blue-green (456+514 nm, 50% peak width 50 nm)
  • Ce0.67Tb0.33MgAl11O19:Ce,Tb, green (543 nm), for trichromatic lamps


  • Zn2SiO4:Mn (Willemite
    Willemite

    Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent under shortwave ultraviolet light. It occurs in all different colors in daylight, in fibrous masses, solid brown masses , and apple green gemmy masses....
    ), green (528 nm, peak width 40 nm)
  • Zn2SiO4:Mn,Sb2O3, green (528 nm)
  • CaSiO3
    Calcium silicate

    Calcium silicate is the chemical compound Ca2SiO4, also known as calcium orthosilicate and sometimes formulated 2CaO.SiO2....
    :Pb,Mn
    , orange-pink (615 nm, peak width 83 nm)


  • CaWO4 (Scheelite
    Scheelite

    Scheelite is a calcium tungstate mineral with the chemical formula calciumtungstenoxygen4. It is an important ore of tungsten. Well-formed crystals are sought by collectors and are occasionally fashioned into gemstones when suitably free of flaws....
    ), blue (417 nm)
  • CaWO4:Pb, blue (433 or also 446 nm, peak width 111 nm), wide bandwidth
  • MgWO4, pale blue (473 nm, peak width 118 nm), wide bandwidth, deluxe blend component


  • (Sr,Eu,Ba,Ca)5(PO4)3Cl, blue phosphor for trichromatic fluorescent lamps
  • Sr5Cl(PO4)3:Eu(II), blue (447 nm, peak width 32 nm)
  • (Ca,Sr,Ba)3(PO4)2Cl2:Eu, blue (452 nm)
  • (Sr,Ca,Ba)10(PO4)6Cl2:Eu, blue phosphor (453 nm) for trichromatic blends
  • Sr2P2O7:Sn(II), blue (460 nm, peak width 98 nm), wide bandwidth, deluxe blend component
  • Sr6P5BO20:Eu, blue-green (480 nm, peak width 82 nm)
  • Ca5F(PO4)3:Sb, blue (482 nm, peak width 117 nm), wide bandwidth
  • (Ba,Ti)2P2O7:Ti, blue-green (494 nm, peak width 143 nm), wide bandwidth, deluxe blend component
  • 3 Sr3(PO4)2.SrF2
    Strontium fluoride

    Strontium fluoride, SrF2, also called strontium difluoride and strontium fluoride, is a fluoride of strontium. It is a stable brittle white crystalline solid with melting point of 1477?C and boiling point 2460?C....
    :Sb,Mn
    , blue (502 nm)
  • Sr5F(PO4)3:Sb,Mn, blue-green (509 nm, peak width 127 nm), wide bandwidth
  • LaPO4:Ce,Tb, green phosphor (544 nm), for trichromatic blends
  • (La,Ce,Tb)PO4, green phosphor for trichromatic fluorescent lamps
  • (La,Ce,Tb)PO4:Ce,Tb, green (546 nm, peak width 6 nm), for trichromatic lamps
  • Ca3(PO4)2
    Calcium phosphate

    Calcium phosphate is the name given to a family of minerals containing calcium ions together with orthophosphates , metaphosphates or pyrophosphates and occasionally hydrogen or hydroxide ions....
    .CaF2
    Calcium fluoride

    Calcium fluoride is an insoluble ionic chemical compound of calcium and fluorine. It occurs naturally as the mineral fluorite , and it is the source of most of the world's fluorine....
    :Ce,Mn
    , yellow (568 nm)
  • (Ca,Zn,Mg)3(PO4)2:Sn, orange-pink (610 nm, peak width 146 nm), wide bandwidth, blend component
  • (Zn,Sr)3(PO4)2:Mn, orange-red (625 nm)
  • (Sr,Mg)3(PO4)2:Sn, orange-pinkish white (626 nm, peak width 120 nm), wide bandwidth, deluxe blend component
  • (Sr,Mg)3(PO4)2:Sn(II), orange-red (630 nm)
  • Ca5F(PO4)3:Sb,Mn, yellow, 3800K, Lite-white blend
  • Ca5(F,Cl)(PO4)3:Sb,Mn, warm white to cool white or blue or daylight, 2600K to 9900K, some for very high output lamps


  • (Y,Eu)2O3, red phosphor for trichromatic fluorescent lamp
    Fluorescent lamp

    A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to Excited state mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluorescence, producing Light....
    s
  • Y2O3:Eu(III), red (611 nm, peak width 4 nm), for trichromatic lamps


  • Mg4(F)GeO6:Mn, red (658 nm, peak width 17 nm)
  • Mg4(F)(Ge,Sn)O6:Mn, red (658 nm)


  • Y(P,V)O4:Eu, orange-red (619 nm)
  • Y2O2S:Eu, red (626 nm)
  • 3.5 MgO
    Magnesium oxide

    Magnesium oxide, or magnesia, is a white solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of magnesium . It has an empirical formula of ....
     . 0.5 MgF2
    Magnesium fluoride

    Magnesium fluoride is a white crystalline salt composed of one magnesium ion and two fluoride ions, and is used in the electrolysis of aluminium ore and anti-reflective coatings....
     . GeO2
    Germanium dioxide

    Germanium dioxide, also called germanium oxide and germania, is an inorganic compound, an oxide of germanium. Its chemical formula is GermaniumOxygen2....
     :Mn
    , red (655 nm)
  • Mg5As2O11:Mn, red (660 nm)


  • SrAl2O7:Pb, ultraviolet (313 nm)
  • BaSi2O5:Pb, ultraviolet (355 nm)
  • SrFB2O3:Eu(II), ultraviolet (366 nm)
  • SrB4O7:Eu, ultraviolet (368 nm)


  • MgGa2O4:Mn(II), blue-green, used in black light displays


Various

Some other phosphors commercially available, for use as X-ray screens, neutron detectors, alpha-particle scintillators, etc, are:
  • Gd2O2S:Tb (P43), green (peak at 545 nm), 1.5 ms decay to 10%, low afterglow, high X-ray absorption, for X-ray, neutrons and gamma
  • Gd2O2S:Eu, red (627 nm), 850 µs decay, afterglow, high X-ray absorption, for X-ray, neutrons and gamma
  • Gd2O2S:Pr, green (513 nm), 7 µs decay, no afterglow, high X-ray absorption, for X-ray, neutrons and gamma
  • Gd2O2S:Pr,Ce,F, green (513 nm), 4 µs decay, no afterglow, high X-ray absorption, for X-ray, neutrons and gamma


  • Y2O2S:Tb (P45), white (545 nm), 1.5 ms decay, low afterglow, for low-energy X-ray
  • Y2O2S:Eu (P22R), red (627 nm), 850 µs decay, afterglow, for low-energy X-ray
  • Y2O2S:Pr, white (513 nm), 7 µs decay, no afterglow, for low-energy X-ray


  • Zn(0.5)Cd(0.4)S:Ag (HS), green (560 nm), 80 µs decay, afterglow, efficient but low-res X-ray
  • Zn(0.4)Cd(0.6)S:Ag (HSr), red (630 nm), 80 µs decay, afterglow, efficient but low-res X-ray


  • CdWO4, blue (475 nm), 28 µs decay, no afterglow, intensifying phosphor for X-ray and gamma
  • CaWO4, blue (410 nm), 20 µs decay, no afterglow, intensifying phosphor for X-ray
  • MgWO4, white (500 nm), 80 µs decay, no afterglow, intensifying phosphor


  • Y2SiO5:Ce (P47), blue (400 nm), 120 ns decay, no afterglow, for electrons, suitable for photomultipliers
  • YAlO3:Ce (YAP), blue (370 nm), 25 ns decay, no afterglow, for electrons, suitable for photomultipliers
  • Y3Al5O12:Ce (YAG), green (550 nm), 70 ns decay, no afterglow, for electrons, suitable for photomultipliers
  • Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Ce (YGG), green (530 nm), 250 ns decay, low afterglow, for electrons, suitable for photomultipliers


  • CdS:In, green (525 nm), <1 ns decay, no afterglow, ultrafast, for electrons
  • ZnO:Ga, blue (390 nm), <5 ns decay, no afterglow, ultrafast, for electrons
  • ZnO:Zn (P15), blue (495 nm), 8 µs decay, no afterglow, for low-energy electrons


  • (Zn,Cd)S:Cu,Al (P22G), green (565 nm), 35 µs decay, low afterglow, for electrons
  • ZnS:Cu,Al,Au (P22G), green (540 nm), 35 µs decay, low afterglow, for electrons
  • ZnCdS:Ag,Cu (P20), green (530 nm), 80 µs decay, low afterglow, for electrons


  • ZnS:Ag (P11), blue (455 nm), 80 µs decay, low afterglow, for alpha particles and electrons
  • anthracene
    Anthracene

    Anthracene is a solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of three fused benzene rings derived from coal-tar or other residues of thermal pyrolysis....
    , blue (447 nm), 32 ns decay, no afterglow, for alpha particles and electrons
  • plastic (EJ-212), blue (400 nm), 2.4 ns decay, no afterglow, for alpha particles and electrons


  • Zn2SiO4:Mn (P1), green (530 nm), 11 ms decay, low afterglow, for electrons


  • ZnS:Cu (GS), green (520 nm), decay in minutes, long afterglow, for X-rays


  • NaI
    Sodium iodide

    Sodium iodide is a white, crystalline salt with chemical formula SodiumIodine used in radiation detection, treatment of iodine deficiency, and as a reactant in the Finkelstein reaction....
    :Tl
    , for X-ray, alpha, and electrons
  • CsI
    Caesium iodide

    Caesium iodide is an ionic compound often used as the input phosphor of an x-ray image intensifier tube found in fluoroscopy equipment.An important application of caesium iodide crystals, which are scintillators, is electromagnetic Calorimeter in experimental particle physics....
    :Tl
    , green (545 nm), 5 µs decay, afterglow, for X-ray, alpha, and electrons


  • 6LiF
    Lithium fluoride

    Lithium fluoride is a chemical compound of lithium and fluorine. It is a white, inorganic chemistry, crystalline, ionic compound, solid salt under standard conditions for temperature and pressure....
    /ZnS
    Zinc sulfide

    Zinc sulfide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula ZincSulfur. Zinc sulfide is a white- to yellow-colored powder or crystal. It is typically encountered in the more stable cubic form, known also as zinc blende or sphalerite....
    :Ag
    (ND), blue (455 nm), 80 µs decay, for thermal neutrons
  • 6LiF/ZnS:Cu,Al,Au (NDg), green (565 nm), 35 µs decay, for neutron
    Neutron

    The neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton.Neutrons are usually found in atomic nucleus....
    s


See also

  • photoluminescence
    Photoluminescence

    Photoluminescence is a process in which a substance absorbs photons and then re-radiates photons. quantum mechanics, this can be described as an Quantum jump to a higher energy level and then a return to a lower energy state accompanied by the emission of a photon....
  • cathodoluminescence
    Cathodoluminescence

    Cathodoluminescence is an optical p and electrical phenomenon phenomenon whereby a beam of electrons is generated by an electron gun and then impacts on a luminescent material such as a phosphor, causing the material to emit visible light....
  • laser
    Laser

    A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation....


External links

  • ,
  • (P numbers)