Effect of starting materials and sintering temperature on microstructure and optical properties of Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3+ 5 at% transparent ceramics

• Published in: Journal of advanced ceramics 2021-02, Vol.10 (1), p.49
• Main Authors: Yavetskiy, R. P, Balabanov, A. E, Parkhomenko, S. V, Kryzhanovska, O. S, Doroshenko, A. G, Mateychenko, P. V, Tolmachev, A. V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ceramic materials; Ceramics; Grain boundaries; Optical properties; Powders; Raw materials; Sintering
• ISSN: 2226-4108
• DOI: 10.1007/s40145-020-0416-3

Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3+ 5 at% ceramics have been synthesized by the reactive sintering method using different commercial yttria powders (Alfa-Micro, Alfa-Nano, and ITO-V) as raw materials. It has been shown that all Y.sub.2O.sub.3 starting powders consist from agglomerates up to 5-7 [micro]m in size which are formed from 25-60 nm primary particles. High-energy ball milling allows to significantly decreasing the median particle size D.sub.50 below 500 nm regardless of the commercial powders used. Sintering experiments indicate that powder mixtures fabricated from Alfa-Nano yttria powders have the highest sintering activity, while (Y.sub.0.86La.sub.0.09Yb.sub.0.05).sub.2O.sub.3 ceramics sintered at 1750 °C for 10 h are characterized by the highest transmittance of about 45%. Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3+ ceramics have been obtained by the reactive sintering at 1750-1825°C using Alfa-Nano Y.sub.2O.sub.3 powders and La.sub.2O.sub.3+ZrO.sub.2 as a complex sintering aid. The effects of the sintering temperature on densification processes, microstructure, and optical properties of Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3.sup.+ 5 at% ceramics have been studied. It has been shown that Zr.sup.4.sup.+ ions decrease the grain growth of Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3+ ceramics for sintering temperatures 1750-1775 °C. Further increasing the sintering temperature was accompanied by a sharp increase of the average grain size of ceramics referred to changes of structure and chemical composition of grain boundaries, as well as their mobility. It has been determined that the optimal sintering temperature to produce high-dense yttria ceramics with transmittance of 79%-83% and average grain size of 8 [micro]m is 1800 °C. Finally, laser emission at ~1030.7 nm with a slope efficiency of 10% was obtained with the most transparent Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb.sup.3+ 5 at% ceramics sintered.