Luminescence enhancement of (Ca1−xMx)TiO3:Dy3+ phosphors through partial M (Mg2+/Zn2+) substitution for white-light-emitting diodes

White-light-emitting (Ca1−xMx)TiO3:Dy3+ (M = Zn2+, Mg2+) phosphors were synthesized via combustion. The phase compositions and morphologies of the (Ca1−xMgx)TiO3:Dy3+ and (Ca1−xZnx)TiO3:Dy3+ phosphors were investigated via X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The luminescence of the (Ca1−xMgx)TiO3:Dy3+ and (Ca1−xZnx)TiO3:Dy3+ phosphors was characterized using photoluminescence spectra, which indicate that the best substitution concentration of both Zn2+ ions and Mg2+ ions is 4%. Moreover, a comparison of the luminescence intensities of the (Ca.96Mg.04)TiO3:Dy3+ and (Ca.96Zn.04)TiO3:Dy3+ phosphors indicates that the Zn2+ ions could much more significantly enhance the luminescence intensity of CaTiO3:Dy3+ phosphors. These results suggest that the (Ca.96Zn.04)TiO3:Dy3+ phosphors excited by UV radiation are promising materials for white-light-emitting diodes.