Studies on luminescence from a cerium‐doped strontium stannate phosphor

The crystal structure and morphology of Ce³⁺‐doped SrSnO₃ materials prepared using the solid‐state reaction method were extensively characterized using experimental techniques. X‐Ray diffraction results show that the cerium substitution of strontium does not change the structure of the strontium stannate. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the microstructures and lattice vibrations. Environmental scanning electron microscopy images showed that phosphors aggregate and their particles form irregular shapes. SrSnO₃ exhibits an intense green emission with a broad band originating from the 5d¹ → 4f¹ transition of cerium. It was observed that, after exposure to beta‐irradiation, the glow curve of this material has two broad thermoluminescence peaks, one centered at ~ 127°C and the other at ~ 245°C for a heating rate of 5 K/s. The kinetic parameters, which include the frequency factor and the activation energy of the material, were calculated using Chen's method, after beta‐irradiation. The fading and reusability of the phosphor were also studied and it was found that the phosphor is suitable for radiation dosimetry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.