AVS 50th International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF2-WeA

Paper TF2-WeA10
Gadolinium Doped Yttrium Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Radio-frequency Magnetron Sputtering; Film Quality and Cathodoluminescence Properties

Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 5:00 pm, Room 329

Session: Optical Thin Films and Photovoltaics II
Presenter: J.D. Fowlkes, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Authors: J.D. Fowlkes, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
P.D. Rack, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Y. Deng, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
J.M. Fitz-Gerald, The University of Virginia
R.K. Bansal, The University of Virginia
Correspondent: Click to Email
Miniaturized ultraviolet (250 - 350 nm) emitting solid - state sources are required as components for proposed device structures such as non-line-of-sight communication transceivers and receivers and bioparticle detection units. Rare - earth doped, yttrium oxide thin films emit ultraviolet light over this proposed frequency range. Yttrium oxide thin films were deposited by radio - frequency magnetron sputtering in a reactive oxygen atmosphere. The films were deposited on Si (001) substrates and were polycrystalline with a preferred (222) pole orientation along the substrate normal that became more prominent at high temperature. In addition to texture, crystal size and crystal quality were determined, using x-ray diffraction, for a host of sputtering conditions. Yttrium oxide was doped with gadolinium which emits in the ultraviolet via an interband 4f-4f transition. The films emit at 314 - 315 nm with optimum intensity at ~ 10 at% Gd. Correlations have been made between thin film orientation, crystallite size, residual stress, and cathodoluminescence (CL) studies. CL excitation was optimized per sample by proper voltage, current, and temperature selection. In addition, CL data will be presented that reflects the characteristics of the Gd optical transition. Specific information regarding the phonon assisted transition and thermal and concentration quenching will be discussed.