Iron doping effect on the electronic structure in yttrium aluminosilicate glasses

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to obtain information on local atomic arrangements and electronic structure in Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 glass system doped with up to 1 mol% Fe2O3. Core level photoelectron peaks of Si 2p, Al 2p and O 1s in glasses are symmetric and can be fitted to a single peak, suggesting that there is one kind of site for these elements. Most of the oxygen atoms in the different configurations are of bridging type and, therefore, the contributions to the O 1s core level spectrum from these configurations are undistinguishable. The photopeak symmetry and the binding energies of O 1s electrons show these glasses to be covalent compounds. EPR results indicate that the irons are located in sites subjected to different crystalline field strengths.