YNbO4:Eu3+ powders were prepared using LiCl as a flux. With increasing the LiCl content up to 7 wt.%, YNbO4:Eu3+ powders with the high crystallinity and the uniform size could be obtained, leading to the enhancement of the red emission intensity at 613 nm. The excitation spectra consisted of the charge transfer (CT) band and f-f transitions of Eu3+. The excitation intensity ratio of f-f transition to CT band also increased with the LiCl content. The emission spectra under 315 nm excitation of Y0.85Nb0.9Ta0.1O4:Eu0.15-yTby revealed that the absorbed energy by Tb3+ ions could be obviously transferred to the nearest Eu3+ ions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.