Sol–gel fabrication, patterning and photoluminescent properties of LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ nanocrystalline thin films

Ce3+ and/or Tb3+-doped LaPO4 nanocrystalline thin films and their patterning were fabricated by a sol–gel process combined with soft lithography on silicon and quartz glass substrates. The results of XRD indicated that the films began to crystallize at 700 °C. The 1000 °C annealed single layer films are transparent by eyes, uniform and crack-free with a thickness of about 200 nm and an average grain size of 100 nm. Patterned thin film with different band widths (5–50 μm) were obtained by micro-molding in capillaries technique. The luminescence and energy transfer properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ were studied in LaPO4 films.