Bright White‐Emitting Phosphors Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+/Dy3+‐Tm3+ for Hg‐Free Lamps and White LEDs Applications

Spectroscopic properties of Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl: Dy³⁺ and Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl: Dy³⁺, Tm³⁺ under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and ultraviolet (UV) light excitations were investigated. Dy³⁺ single‐doped Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl showed broad absorption band in the VUV region, and bright warm white light with chromaticity coordinates (CIE) of (0.340, 0.381) upon VUV excitation at 172 nm, demonstrating this phosphor's applicability in mercury free lamps. Upon direct excitation Tm³⁺ from its ⁶F₆ level to ¹D₂ level, the decrease of emission intensity and lifetime of Tm^{3+ 1}D₂–³F₄ emission with increasing concentration of Dy³⁺ in Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl: Dy³⁺, Tm³⁺ confirmed the occurrence of energy transfer from Tm³⁺ to Dy³⁺. In addition, Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl: Dy³⁺, Tm³⁺ could be efficiently excited by 358 nm UV light and its emission color could be tuned from blue to yellow by codoping Tm³⁺. When 1% Tm³⁺ and 5% Dy³⁺ were codoped in the Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl, intensive white‐emitting light with CIE of (0.352, 0.328) and correlated color temperature of 4589 K was achieved upon 358 nm excitation, revealing the potential application of Ba₂Gd(BO₃)₂Cl: Dy³⁺, Tm³⁺ for white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs).