Characterization of luminescent properties of ZnO:Er thin films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering

ZnO:Er thin films were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by rf magnetron sputtering and annealed at 700 °C under air and H2 atmospheres for the luminescent improvement. The effects of sputtering parameters and the annealing conditions on visible and 1.54 μm IR emissions were investigated. Structural and luminescent properties strongly depended on the deposition conditions and annealing atmospheres. By tuning the excitation wavelength, ZnO:Er thin films exhibited a strong emission band at around 465 nm and a weak emission at 525 nm originated from the energy transition of 4I15/2–4F5/2 and 4I15/2–2H11/2, respectively, while 1.54 μm IR emissions due to 4I15/2–4I13/2 transition.