Crystallinity of Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ thin-film phosphors grown on Si (100) substrate

Gd 2 O 3 : Eu 3 + and Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ luminescent thin films have been grown on Si (100) substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The films grown at different deposition conditions show different microstructural and luminescent characteristics. Both cubic and monoclinic crystalline structures were observed in both Gd2O3:Eu3+ and Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ films, but the cubic phase becomes more dominant and the ratio of peak values IC(222)∕IM(−402) increases rapidly for Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ films. The photoluminescence brightness data obtained from Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ films indicate that Si (100) is a promising substrate for growth of high-quality Li-doped Gd2O3:Eu3+ thin-film red phosphor. In particular, the incorporation of Li+ ions into the Gd2O3 lattice induced changes of crystallinity, surface roughness, and photoluminescence. The highest emission intensity was observed with Gd1.84Li0.08Eu0.08O3, whose brightness was a factor of 2.1 larger than that from Gd2O3:Eu3+ films. This phosphor is promising for applications in flat-panel displays.