Photoluminescence properties of Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Ce3+ thin phosphor films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Ce3+ (YAGG:Ce) thin phosphor films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique were investigated. The films were deposited on SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrates using different substrate temperatures in a vacuum chamber backfilled with either O2 or Ar gas. The maximum PL intensity was obtained from the film deposited at the substrate temperature of 300 °C in an O2 atmosphere. In addition, the films with well-defined grains (rougher surfaces) showed higher PL intensity compared to films with poorly-defined grains (smooth surfaces) as confirmed from the atomic force microscopy data. A slight shift in the wavelength of the PL spectra was observed from the thin films when compared to the PL spectra of the phosphor in powder form which is probably due to a change in the crystal field.