A simple photochemical method to synthesize Ga2O 3Dy3M3 thin films and their evaluation as optical materials (where M=Cr or Co)

We report the photochemical method to synthesize Ga2O 3Dy3Co3 and Ga2O3Dy 3Cr3 thin films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence were used to characterize the products. These analyses revealed that as-deposited and annealed films are amorphous. The optical characterization of the films showed that these are highly transparent in the visible spectrum but decrease significantly with doped and co-doped films. Under the excitation of UV light (254 nm) the doped films (Ga 2O3Dy3) show the characteristic emissions of Dy3 at 500, 575, 594, 605 and 652 nm corresponding to 4F9/2→6HJ (J=15/2, 13/2 and 11/2) transitions but the emissions decrease with the co-doped films (Ga 2O3Dy3M3, where M=Cr or Co); a possible emission mechanism and energy transfer have been proposed. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd