Enhanced luminescence of Gd2O3:Eu3+ thin-film phosphors by Li doping

Abstract

Gd 2 O 3 : Eu 3+ and Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ luminescent thin films have been grown on Al2O3 (0001) substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The films grown under different deposition conditions show different microstructural and luminescent characteristics. Both cubic and monoclinic crystalline structures were observed in Gd2O3:Eu3+ films, but only the cubic crystalline structure was observed for Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ films grown under certain condition. The photoluminescence (PL) brightness data obtained from Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ films indicate that sapphire is a promising substrate for growth of high-quality Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ thin-film red phosphor. In particular, incorporation of Li+ ions into the Gd2O3 lattice can induce a remarkable increase of PL. The highest emission intensity was observed with LiF-doped Gd1.84Li0.08Eu0.08O3, whose brightness was a factor of 2.3 larger than that from Gd2O3:Eu3+ films. This phosphor is promising for applications in flat-panel displays.