Y₂O₃ is a promising material for laser oxide ceramics. The Japan team obtained recently Y₂O₃:Nd and Y₂O₃:Yb laser ceramics using chlorides water solutions for preparation of starting oxide nanopowders. We used different salt solutions to obtain the powders, doped with Nd. Mixtures of Y and Nd nitrates, oxalates and carbonates were used. Two ways were applied to adjust the solution pH values to Y hydroxide deposition (around 8): 1) addition of urea to the salt solution with subsequent heating to 80-100^oC; 2) addition of ammonium hydroxide solution to the salts’ solution. Grain agglomeration, their forms, sizes and surface area depend critically on the experimental conditions. Grain sizes in the range 10-200 nm and surface areas in the range 10-140 m²/g were obtained. Y₂O₃ powder were obtained by heating hydroxide precursors in air at temperatures 900-1200^oC, and the oxide grain surface area was in the range 50-100m²/g. Plates type grains were formed when carbonates’ solutions were used, whereas nitrates and citrates gave more uniform three dimensional grains. Pellets were prepared from the nanopowders using both uniaxial pressure around 2000 kg/m² and pouring of water-nanopowder mixture into gypsum moulds. Vacuum sintering of the pellets at 1700-1800^oC gave transparent ceramic samples. Results of electron microscopy of the samples, Nd absorption and emission spectra are presented.

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1. Fabrication and characterization of highly-concentrated Nd-doped YAG laser ceramics