Preparation, heat treatment and photoluminescence properties of V-doped ZnO–SiO2–B2O3 glasses

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 132; no. 5; pp. 1126 - 1132
• Main Authors: Hamnabard, Zohreh, Khalkhali, Zahra, Qazvini, Shamsi Sadat Alavi, Baghshahi, Saeid, Maghsoudipour, Amir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amorphous materials, glasses and other disordered solids; Borosilicate glass; Borosilicate glasses; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Emission; Exact sciences and technology; Glass; Heat treatment; Near band edge emission; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Vanadium; Zinc; Zinc oxide; ZnO-based scintilator; Borosilicate glass; Near band edge emission; ZnO-based scintilator; Vanadium; Photoluminescence; Scanning electron microscopy; Impurity density; Ternary systems; Fluorescence; Liquid state quenching; Differential thermal analysis; XRD; Heat treatments; Vanadium additions; Ultraviolet radiation; Scintillator; Zinc oxide; Donor center; Microstructure
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2011.12.083
• ISSN: 0022-2313

Four glasses in ZnO–SiO2–B2O3 ternary system were prepared by the melt quenching method with the objective of optimizing sub-nanosecond emission over the UV region of zinc borosilicate glasses used in superfast scintillators. The effect of vanadium addition and heat treatment on phase formation, microstructure and photoluminescence properties of the glasses was characterized by means of DTA, XRD, SEM and fluorescence spectrophotometer. Vanadium contributed to the near-band-edge emission in two ways, by introducing donor levels in the energy band of ZnO particles and by facilitating the precipitation of ZnO and willemite crystals. Furthermore, nucleation of willemite and zinc oxide phases, which are both the origins of the intense emission bands in the UV region, was facilitated with increasing either the time or temperature of heat treatments. Photoluminescence spectra showed the elimination of the visible emission band which is favorable in scintillating glasses. ► Phase analysis, thermal behavior, microstructure and photoluminescence properties. ► Crystallization driving forces and mechanisms. ► Optical basicity of ZnO–SiO2–B2O3 glasses.