Fabrication, Microstructure and Optical Properties of Gd2O2S:Tb Scintillation Ceramics with Different Doping Concentrations

doi:10.15541/jim20250415

Abstract

Abstract:

The Gd₂O₂S:Tb scintillation ceramics with different doping concentrations were prepared using the powders synthesized by the water-bath method, through vacuum pre-sintering followed by hot isostatic pressing post-treatment. The influence of doping concentration on the microstructure and optical properties of Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics was investigated. The lattice parameter of Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics decreases with the increase in doping concentrations. The total optical transmittance of Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations does not vary much due to the secondary phase. With the increase in doping concentration, the photoluminescence (PL) decay time decreases from 617 μs to 576 μs, which is caused by the non-radiative relaxation among Tb³⁺ ions. The PL and X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) of Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics exhibit the high concentration quenching phenomenon. The 3.5% (in atomic) Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics have the highest steady-state XEL intensity with a light output of 37500 ph/MeV. The afterglow of Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramics with different concentrations varies little in the range of 0.1%-0.3% at 50 ms.

Key words: water-bath method, Gd₂O₂S:Tb ceramic, doping concentration, scintillation property

CLC Number:

TQ174

HUANG Dong, WU Junlin, HU Chen, WANG Yanbin, CHEN Yuyang, LI Tingsong, YANG Wenqin, JIANG Xingfen, ZHOU Jianrong, SUN Zhijia, LI Jiang. Fabrication, Microstructure and Optical Properties of Gd₂O₂S:Tb Scintillation Ceramics with Different Doping Concentrations[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2026, 41(9): 1330-1338.

Figures/Tables 13

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of Gd2O2S:Tb powders with different doping concentrations (in atomic)

Table 1 Lattice parameters of Gd2O2S:Tb powders with different doping concentrations

Composition	Lattice parameter/nm
Composition	a	b	c
(Gd_0.995Tb_0.005)₂O₂S	0.38523	0.38523	0.66672
(Gd_0.99Tb_0.010)₂O₂S	0.38522	0.38522	0.66658
(Gd_0.98Tb_0.020)₂O₂S	0.38517	0.38517	0.66642
(Gd_0.975Tb_0.025)₂O₂S	0.38506	0.38506	0.66641
(Gd_0.97Tb_0.030)₂O₂S	0.38502	0.38502	0.66637
(Gd_0.965Tb_0.035)₂O₂S	0.38500	0.38500	0.66624
(Gd_0.96Tb_0.040)₂O₂S	0.38498	0.38498	0.66623
(Gd_0.95Tb_0.050)₂O₂S	0.38496	0.38496	0.66612

Fig. 2 FESEM images of Gd2O2S:Tb powders with different doping concentrations (in atomic) (a) 0.5%; (b) 2.0%; (c) 3.5%; (d) 5.0%

Fig. 3 XRD patterns of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic)

Table 2 Lattice parameters of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations

Composition	Lattice parameter/nm
Composition	a	b	c
(Gd_0.995Tb_0.005)₂O₂S	0.38510	0.38510	0.66620
(Gd_0.99Tb_0.010)₂O₂S	0.38491	0.38491	0.66589
(Gd_0.98Tb_0.020)₂O₂S	0.38453	0.38453	0.66582
(Gd_0.975Tb_0.025)₂O₂S	0.38444	0.38444	0.66578
(Gd_0.97Tb_0.030)₂O₂S	0.38447	0.38447	0.66565
(Gd_0.965Tb_0.035)₂O₂S	0.38443	0.38443	0.66561
(Gd_0.96Tb_0.040)₂O₂S	0.38442	0.38442	0.66551
(Gd_0.95Tb_0.05)₂O₂S	0.38441	0.38441	0.66550

Fig. 4 FESEM images of fracture surfaces of the Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic) (a) 0.5%; (b) 2.0%; (c) 3.0%; (d) 3.5%; (e) 4.0%

Fig. 5 Total optical transmittance curves of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics (1 mm in thickness) with different doping concentrations (in atomic) Colorful figure is available on website

Fig. 6 (a) FESEM image and (b, c) EDS elemental analysis results of the 0.5% (in atomic) Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics

Fig. 7 PL and PLE spectra of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic) Colorful figure is available on website

Fig. 8 PL decay curves and their fitted curves of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic) (a) 0.5%; (b) 2.0%; (c) 3.0%; (d) 3.5%; (e) 4.0%. λex=315 nm, λem=545 nm

Fig. 9 (a) XEL spectra and (b) normalized integral XEL intensity curve in the range of 350-800 nm of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic) Colorful figures are available on website

Table 3 Relative light output of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations

Doping concentration/% (in atomic)	1.0	2.0	3.0	3.5	4.0
Neutron light output/(ph·n^-1)	197	201	218	205	201

Fig. 10 Normalized afterglow curves of Gd2O2S:Tb ceramics with different doping concentrations (in atomic) Colorful figure is available on website

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Fabrication, Microstructure and Optical Properties of Gd₂O₂S:Tb Scintillation Ceramics with Different Doping Concentrations

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