Enhanced luminescence of Gd2O3:Eu3+ buffer-layered Y2O3:Eu3+ thin films

Y2O3:Eu3+ thin films have been grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates using Gd2O3:Eu3+ as a buffer layer to reduce the lattice mismatch by pulsed laser deposition. The crystallinity, surface morphology and photoluminescence of the films are highly dependent on the thickness of buffer layer. The photoluminescence results obtained from Y2O3:Eu3+ films grown on the Gd2O3:Eu3+ buffer layer under optimized conditions have indicated that reducing lattice mismatch is very important factor for the growth of high quality Y2O3:Eu3+ thin film phosphor. In particular, the incorporation of Gd2O3:Eu3+ buffer layer induced an improved crystallinity, surface roughness and an increase of photoluminescence. The highest emission intensity was observed Y2O3:Eu3+ films with 121 nm Gd2O3:Eu3+ buffer layer, whose brightness was a factor of 2.1 larger than that from Y2O3:Eu3+ films without buffer layer.