Luminescence Properties of Eu3+, Ba2+, and Bi3+ Co-Doped YVO4 for Wide-Spectrum Excitation

YVO4 based phosphors have aroused extensive interest in the field of optoelectronics due to their good chemical stability and unique luminescence properties. However, commercialization of YVO4 phosphors requires high luminescence intensity, enhanced conversion efficiency, and a wide excitation spectrum. In this work, Eu3+, Ba2+, Bi3+ co-doped YVO4 was prepared by the sol–gel method. The XRD of YVO4: 5%Eu3+, 5%Ba2+, 0.5%Bi3+ phosphor analysis confirms the pure tetragonal phase, with a fairly large size of approximately 100 nm for the optimal composition. And the SEM and TEM revealed well-dispersed spherical nanoparticles with sizes of 100–120 nm. The introduction of Ba2+ ions enhanced the luminescence intensity, while the incorporation of Bi3+ ions improved the excitation width of the phosphor. The resulting YVO4: 5%Eu3+, 5%Ba2+, 0.5%Bi3+ phosphor exhibited a 1.39-times broader excitation bandwidth and a 2.72-times greater luminescence intensity at 618 nm compared to the benchmark YVO4: 5% Eu3+ sample. Additionally, the transmittance of the films in the 350 nm to 800 nm region exceeded 85%. The YVO4: 5%Eu3+, 5%Ba2+, 0.5%Bi3+ film effectively absorbed ultraviolet light and converted it to red emission, enabling potential applications in solar cell window layers, dye-sensitized cell luminescence layers, and solar cell packaging glass.