Copper-based activated carbon adsorbents (Cu/AC) were prepared and used to investigate the effects of various copper precursors, impregnation solution concentration, and calcination temperature on phosphine (PH3) adsorption removal from yellow phosphorus tail gas. N-2 adsorption isotherm and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used for characterizing the Cu/AC adsorbents. It can be seen that the Cu(N)/AC adsorbent prepared from the Cu(NO3)(2) precursor has higher PH3 breakthrough adsorption capacity than other three adsorbent because the surface copper status of it is mainly CuO. Fresh activated carbon requires an optimal impregnation solution concentration (0.05 mol/L) to reach this optimal PH3 breakthrough adsorption capacity (78.62 mg/g). The result shows that the surface chemical characteristics (Cu content) of activated carbon is more important than the physical ones (specific surface or pore volume) for the PH3 adsorption performance. When the calcination temperature is 350 degrees C, the Cu(N)/AC adsorbent has the biggest PH3 breakthrough adsorbed amount of 112.38 mg/g. The present study confirmed that the Cu/AC adsorbents would be one of the candidates for PH3 adsorption removal from yellow phosphorus tail gas.