Enhanced quantum efficiency and thermal stability in tunable yellow-emitting Sr Ca1-AlSiN3:Ce3+ phosphor

Ce3+ doped CaAlSiN3 is a promising broadband orange phosphor that can be applied in white light-emitting diodes (wLEDs) solid state lighting for general illumination. However, its emission color and quantum efficiency are not good enough to achieve high color rendering properties and luminous efficacy of wLEDs. In this work, we proposed to realize the spectral tuning and property enhancement of CaAlSiN3:Ce3+ by bandgap engineering via the cationic substitution of Ca by Sr. The relationship between photoluminescence and local coordination structure as well as electronic structure were revealed. The substitution led to a blue-shift in emission maximum by 13 nm (from 595 to 582 nm) and a highest external quantum efficiency of 55% (enhanced by 10%). This broadband yellow phosphor enabled to produce wLEDs with a color rendering index of 83.3, luminous efficacy of 114.6 l m/W and a color temperature of 4604 K.