Structural and optical properties of Er2O3 films

Stoichiometric and amorphous Er2O3 films were deposited on Si(001) substrates by radio frequency magnetron technique. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurement showed that the refractive index of the Er2O3 film in wavelength region of 400–1000 nm was between 1.6–1.7. The reflectivity of the Er2O3 films decreased greatly with respect to that from the uncoated Si substrates. The absorption coefficient of the Er2O3 film indicated that it had an energy gap larger than 4.5 eV. The obtained characteristics indicated that Er2O3 films could be promising candidates for anti-reflection coatings in solar cells.