LOW-PRESSURE METALORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR-DEPOSITION OF PHOTOLUMINESCENT EU-DOPED Y2O3 FILMS

We have produced thin photoluminescent films of Eu-doped Y2O3(Y2O3:Eu) by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Yttrium and europium β-diketonate precursors are thermally decomposed in a hot-walled MOCVD reactor in the presence of oxygen at a total reactor pressure of 1 Torr. The films are microcrystalline and photoluminescent as-deposited and contain <1 at.% of carbon contamination. Subsequent annealing at 1200 °C in air enhances and stabilizes the luminescence. We have measured the photoluminescent lifetimes of the MOCVD films as a function of temperature for the Eu+3 5D1 → 7F1 and 5D0 → 7F2 transitions using excimer laser excitation at 248 nm. We present a kinetic model which can account for the observed emission lifetimes from 20–1000 °C. © 1990, Materials Research Society. All rights reserved.