Viscosity Effects of the Precursor Solution and Surface Structure of Gadolinium Oxide (Gd₂O₃) and Gadolinium Oxide Europium Doped (Gd₂O₃:Eu³⁺) Sol-Gel Films

Quianna S. Johnson¹, Matthew Edwards¹, Josh Herring², Michael Curley¹

¹Department of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, Alabama A & M University, Normal, AL, USA.
²Department of Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama A & M University, Normal, AL, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/msa.2014.514105                

Abstract

The sol-gel method is a novel technique for the preparation of thin films. In this research, gadolinium oxide (Gd₂O₃) and gadolinium oxide europium doped (Gd₂O₃:Eu³⁺) films prepared via the sol-gel and dip coating methods were investigated. In addition to the elaboration on the sol-gel preparation routes and additional observations of the films’ surface morphology as characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), we determined via viscosity measurements that the sols were stable for 398 days. FTIR analysis of the Gd₂O₃ and Gd₂O₃:Eu³⁺ dip coated films was made to monitor the decomposition and oxidation reactions that occurred during processing as well as process stability.

Keywords

Gadolinium Oxide Thin Film, Sol-Gel, Dip Coating, Viscosity, SEM, FTIR

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Takagi, K. and Fukuzawa, T. (1983) Cerium-Activated Gd2SiO5 Single Crystal Scintillator. Applies Physics Letters, 42, 43-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.93760
[2]	Gambaccini, M., Taibi, A., Baldelli, P., Del Guerra, A. and Tuffanelli, A. (1998) Image Noise Properties of a Phosphor-Coated CCD X-Ray Detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 409, 508-510. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(97)01304-1
[3]	Guo, H., Yang, X., Xiang, T., Zhang, W., Lou, L. and Mugnier, J. (2004) Structure and Optical Properties of Sol-gel Derived Gd2O3 Waveguide Films. Applied Surface Science, 230, 215-221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.02.032
[4]	Bae, J.S., Shim, K.S., Yang, H.K., Moon, B.K., Jeong, J.H., Kim, Y.S., Yi, S.S. and Kim, J.H. (2006) Surface Morphology and Crystalline Phase Dependent Photoluminescence of Gd2O3:Eu3+ Thin Films Grown on Various Substrates. Thin Solid Films, 515, 2497-2500. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2006.07.088
[5]	Augusciuk, E. (2012) Method of m-Line Spectroscopy, A Good Tool to Determine and Control the Optical Parameters of Waveguide Structures. Proceeding of SPIE, 8702, 870207-870211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2010911
[6]	Garcia-Murillo, A., Le Luyer, C., Dujardin, C., Pedrini, C. and Mugnier, J. (2001) Elaboration and Characterization of Gd2O3 Waveguiding Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Process. Optical Materials, 16, 39-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0925-3467(00)00057-4
[7]	Liu, X., Liu, B., Gu, M., Xiao, L. and Xu, X. (2006) Highly Enhanced Photoluminescence and X-Ray Excited Luminescence of Li Doped Gd2O3:Ee3+ Thin Films. Solid State Communications, 137, 162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2005.10.018
[8]	Le Luyer, C., Garcia-Murillo, A., Bernstein, E. and Mugnier, J. (2003) Waveguide Raman Spectroscopy of Sol-Gel Gd2O3 Thin Films. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 34, 234-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jrs.980
[9]	Ferrara, M.C., Altamura, D., Schioppa, M., Tapfer, L., Nichelatti, E., Pilloni, L. and Montecchi, M. (2008) Growth, Characterization and Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline Gadolina Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Dip Coating. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 41, Article ID: 225408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/41/22/225408
[10]	Johnson, Q.S., Edwards, M. and Curley, M. (2013) Analysis of the Refractive Index and Film Thickness of Eu Doped Gadolinium Oxide (Gd2O3) Planar Waveguides Fabricated by the Sol-Gel And Dip Coating Methods. Proceedings of SPIE, 8847, 884706.
[11]	Gaucher, P., Hector, J. and Kurfiss, J.C. (1995) NATO ASI Series, Ser. E. Science and Technology of Electroceramic Thin Films, 284, 147.