Ce3+ single-doped YAG rare earth powder phosphors via spark plasma sintering and its application in solar cells

In recent years, significant efforts have been made to explore the application of Ce 3+ 5d-4f radiation transitions in photovoltaic cells. However, conventional fabrication methods are constrained by prolonged preparation times and high processing temperatures. This study synthesizes traditional rare earth YAG: Ce 3+ phosphors using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) method through multi-field coupling and systematically compares their luminescent performance with phosphors prepared by high-temperature solid-state reactions (HTSSR). The crystal structure, morphology, luminescent properties, and fluorescence lifetime of the synthesized phosphors were thoroughly investigated. The results show that YAG: Ce 3+ phosphors synthesized by SPS possess a cubic garnet structure with an Ia-3d space group, confirming the effective incorporation of Ce 3+ into the YAG host. The average particle diameter of YAG:0.01Ce 3+ @SPS-1400 °C phosphors (1.1289 μm) is smaller than that of HTSSR-prepared samples (1.9326 μm). Under 466 nm blue-light irradiation, YAG:0.01Ce 3+ @SPS-1400 °C phosphors exhibit broad-band yellow emission centered at 534 nm, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 102 nm. Compared to other samples, the YAG:0.01Ce 3+ @SPS-1400 °C phosphors demonstrate a slight red shift and a longer fluorescence decay lifetime (43.6 ns). These enhanced luminescent and fluorescence properties contribute to a 0.90 % improvement in the relative efficiency of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells incorporating YAG:0.01Ce 3+ @SPS-1400 °C phosphors, compared to a 4 % decrease with YAG:0.01Ce 3+ @HTSSR. The findings highlight the potential of SPS-fabricated YAG:Ce 3+ phosphors to enhance SHJ solar cell efficiency, presenting a novel and efficient preparation method for rare earth phosphors.