Author(s)

Kenta Miura^*, Tetsuhito Suzuki, Osamu Hanaizumi

Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Japan.

We fabricated europium and cerium co-doped tantalum (V) oxide (Ta₂O₅: Eu, Ce) thin films using our co-sputtering method for the first time, and evaluated photoluminescence (PL) properties of the films after annealing at 600°C - 1100°C for 20 min. Four remarkable PL peaks at wavelengths of 600, 620, 700, and 705 nm were observed from the film annealed at 900°C. The intensities of the 700- and 705-nm peaks due to the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₄ transition of Eu³⁺ were much stronger than those of the 600-nm (⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁) and 620-nm (⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂) peaks of the film annealed at 900°C. It seems that energy transfer from Ce³⁺ to Eu³⁺ occurs in the film, and much energy is selectively used for the ⁵D₀ →⁷F₄ and ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁ transitions. Such a Ta₂O₅: Eu, Ce co-sputtered thin film seems to be used as a multi-functional coating film having both anti-reflection and down-conversion effects for realizing a high-efficiency silicon solar cell.

Tantalum Oxide, Europium, Cerium, Co-Sputtering, Photoluminescence

Miura, K. , Suzuki, T. and Hanaizumi, O. (2015) Photoluminescence Properties of Europium and Cerium Co-Doped Tantalum-Oxide Thin Films Prepared Using Co-Sputtering Method. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, 3, 30-34. doi: 10.4236/msce.2015.38005.