Preparation and luminescent performances of transparent screen-printed Ce3+: Y3Al5O12 phosphors-in-glass thick films for remote white LEDs

Ce3+: Y3Al5O12 (Ce-YAG) phosphors-in-glass (PiG), which serves as both luminescent convertor and encapsulating material in the remote white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), has become a promising research field. However, the challenges in processing and mechanical strength still remain due to its submillimeter thickness. Herein, a novel transparent Ce-YAG PiG thick film was coated on a common glass substrate through conventional screen printing process and subsequent heat treatment. The introduced commercial Ce-YAG phosphors almost kept intact in a lead-free glass matrix. The microstructures and luminescent properties of as-prepared samples were investigated systematically. White LED device was also fabricated via mounting the optimal sample on the InGaN blue-emitting chips, which yielded bright white light with considerable luminous efficiency and color quality. The resulting screen-printed Ce-YAG PiG thick film will be a promising candidate for applications in the high-power remote white LEDs. [Display omitted] •Transparent Ce3+: YAG PiG thick film was coated on a common glass substrate.•The commercial Ce3+: YAG phosphors almost kept intact in a lead-free glass matrix.•The microstructures and luminescent properties of samples were investigated.•The white LED device yielded a considerable luminous efficiency and color quality.