Er-doped alumina crystalline films deposited by radiofrequency magnetron co-sputtering

Abstract Er-doped dielectric films are materials characterized by the emission of an intense photoluminescence signal at λ = 1.54 μm. The shape and intensity of the radiative emission of Er 3+ ions may depend on the compositional and structural characteristics of the host dielectric matrix. With a suitable choice of the preparation parameters, we were able to synthesize luminescence dielectric thin films of crystalline alumina doped with erbium atoms by means of radiofrequency magnetron co-sputtering deposition. The samples were mainly characterized by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The films show interesting changes of the 1.54 μm emission band shape as a function of the optical activation annealing temperature.