Characterization of high-gadolinium Y0.6Gd1.34Eu 0.06O3 powder and fabrication of transparent ceramic scintillator using pressureless sintering

Abstract

Comparatively high gadolinium contents are of primary importance for (Y,Gd)2O3:Eu scintillators because of expected higher scintillation intensity and higher light output of the materials. Transparent Y0.6Gd1.34Eu0.06O3 ceramic, with a high gadolinium composition of ∼67 mol%, has been fabricated via vacuum sintering using synthesized sinterable powders. The precursor powder was coprecipitated with ammonium hydrogen carbonate as the precipitant and the powder calcined at 1100°C showed the best sintering activity. Transparent Y0.6Gd1.34Eu0.06O3 ceramic, exhibiting an in-line transmittance of 66.7% at 610 nm, was obtained by vacuum sintering at 1670°C for 2 h. Under X-ray excitation, the ceramic exhibited characteristic emissions of the Eu3+ ions. © 2009 The American Ceramic Society.