Zinc silicate phosphor: Insights of X‐ray induced and temperature enabled luminescence

The present investigation deals with the effect of calcination temperature on the structural and thermoluminescent (TL) properties of Zn2SiO4 materials. For this study, Zn2SiO4 was prepared via a simple hydrothermal route and calcinated at temperatures from 700°C to 1100°C in an air atmosphere. TL data of all Zn2SiO4 samples showed two peaks at around 240°C and 330°C due to the formation of the luminescence centre during X‐ray irradiation. More interestingly, the Zn2SiO4 sample calcinated at 900°C exhibited a shift in the TL peak (282°C and 354°C) with an optimal TL intensity attributed to its good crystallinity with a well‐defined hexagonal plate‐like morphology. X‐ray‐irradiated Zn2SiO4 samples calcinated at 900°C exhibited a high‐temperature TL glow curve peak, suggesting that the present material could be used for high‐temperature dosimetry applications. This work systematically examined the impact of calcination temperatures such as (a) 700°C, (b) 800°C, (c) 900°C, (d) 1000°C, and (e) 1100°C on the structural and thermoluminescence properties of Zn2SiO4 for dosimetry applications. More interestingly, the Zn2SiO4 calcinated at 900°C showed more crystallinity and maximum TL intensity due to the proper defect maintained in the Zn2SiO4 crystal lattice, which revealed that Zn2SiO4 is an appropriate candidate for dosimetry applications.