The accuracy to describe thermoluminescence(TL) mechanism depends on the defect models used principally.The TL kinetic theory models are based on the isolated point defects hypothesis.In fact

the kinetic parameters obtained from experimental TL glow curves have little physical significance.It is known that a lot of TL physical phenomena cannot be explained by the TL kinetic theory models.Based on analysis of TL emission spectra and nonlinearity of TL dose responses in the series of alkaline earth sulphate doped with rare earth ions and phosphors

it is supposed that the defects in these phosphors should be formations of large defect complexes

which include intrinsic imperfects and dopants.These defect complexes can be regarded as basic elements in the TL multi-stage processes.It has been observed that the TL characteristics and the nonlinearity of dose responses depend on the structure of these defect complexes obviously.