Synthesis of spherical luminescent particulate coatings

In this communication, we show the feasibility of the pulsed laser ablation technique to make very thin, uniform luminescent coatings on particulate s ystems. To deposit continuous particulate coatings, the laser-induced plume from the target comes in contact with an agitated bed of core particles (s ize 1 mu m). The pressure and nature of the background gas (inert or active ! controls the cluster size of the particles in the laser plume. Experiment s were conducted for laser deposition of phosphor nanoparticles on SiO2 cor e particles by pulsed excimer laser wavelength=248 nm and pulse duration=25 ns) irradiation of a yttria: Eu (Y2O3:Eu3+) sputtering target. (C) 1999 Am erican Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)04815-X].