TERBIUM ALUMINATE AND ITS PRODUCTION

摘要

PURPOSE:To provide a technique for producing a new luminous material containing terbium as a matrix-constituting element and highly efficiently exhibiting a strong luminescence even at room temperature. CONSTITUTION:A method for producing the single crystal and polycrystal of terbium aluminate expressed by a general formula: Tb1-XAl1+XO3 (-0.5<=x<=0.5) containing at least terbium, aluminum and oxygen is characterized by growing the crystals in the atmosphere of a reducing gas or neutral gas as a growing atmosphere. The terbium site may partially be replaced by a IIIa group element, and the aluminum site may partially be replaced by a IIIb group element. Since the contamination of tetravalent terbium is prevented, the colorless and transparent single crystal and polycrystal exhibiting a yellowish green or green luminescence generating no crack and having a high quality is produced.