Luminescence properties of terbium-doped SiCN thin films by rf magnetron reactive sputtering

Terbium-doped SiCN (SiCN:Tb) thin films were deposited by rf magnetron reactive sputtering at 800 °C. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, and XPS. The results showed that SiCN:Tb films mainly contained both SiC and Si3N4 nano-compositions with complicated chemical bond networks. Photoluminescence measurements indicated that the undoped SiCN films exhibited a blue-green light emission, while SiCN:Tb films emitted a strong green one. The SiC nanocrystallites formed in the undoped SiCN films might be responsible for the blue-green light emission, while the formed quaternary Si–C–Tb–O compositions in the doped samples could account for the strong green PL behaviors.

Research Highlights
► Strong green light emissions were detected from sputtered Tb-doped SiCN thin films at 800 °C.
► SiC nanocrystallites formed in the undoped SiCN films account for the blue-green light emission.
► Si–C–Tb–O compositions account for the strong green PL.