Eu-cloped Y2O3 red phosphors with different morphologies and sizes, which show different photoluminescence intensity, were synthesized via a low temperature hydrothermal route with further calcining treatment. From photoluminescence spectra, it is found that Y2O3:Eu3+ microrods have higher photoluminescence intensity than Y2O3:Eu3+ microsheets. It can be ascribed to the perfect crystal structure of microrods. The photoluminescence intensity increase in along with increasing the sizes of Y2O3:Eu3+ microrods, which ascribe to reducing the surface area resulting from the crystallite size increased. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.