A novel deep red phosphor Ca14Zn6Ga10O35:Mn4+ as color converter for warm W-LEDs: Structure and luminescence properties

Currently, the non-rare-earth Mn 4+ -activated oxide red phosphor is of great interest as color converter for warm white light-emitting diodes (W-LEDs), owing to its admirable luminescent properties and low price. Herein, a novel blue-light activated Ca 14 Zn 6 Ga 10 O 35 :Mn 4+ (CZG:Mn 4+ ) phosphor, exhibiting strong red emission attributed to Mn 4+ : 2 E g  →  4 A 2g spin-forbidden transition in region of 650–750 nm under 462 nm excitation, is successfully synthesized through a traditional solid-state reaction route in air. Subsequently, the microstructure and luminescent performance of this red-emitting phosphor are discussed in detail. The crystal field strength ( Dq ) and the Racah parameters ( B and C ) are carefully calculated to estimate the nephelauxetic effect of Mn 4+ suffering from the CZG host lattice. In addition, the concentration quenching and thermal quenching characteristics are also systematically investigated. After incorporating CZG:Mn 4+ and commercial Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce 3+ (Ce:YAG) phosphors into a blue LED device, warm white light with high color rendering index and low correlated color temperature is successfully achieved. Therefore, the CZG:Mn 4+ phosphor can serve as color converter for use in warm W-LED applications.