Photoluminescence and X-Ray Diffraction Properties of Europium and Silver Co-Doped Tantalum-Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Co-Sputtering

We fabricated europium and silver co-doped tantalum-oxide (Ta2O5:Eu, Ag) thin films using a simple co-sputtering method for the first time, and we evaluated their photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) properties. We found that the most remarkable PL peak at a wavelength of 615 nm due to Eu3+ can be enhanced by Ag doping, and the strongest PL peak can be obtained from a Ta2O5:Eu, Ag thin film after annealing at 1000℃. Based on XRD measurements, we found that Ag2Ta8O21 crystalline phases produced by Ag doping are very important and Eu3TaO7 phases should be avoided in order to enhance the objective PL peak from our Ta2O5:Eu, Ag thin films.