【Epitaxy Papers】Structural and luminescent properties of Eu-doped Ga₂O₃ thin films prepared by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

      Researchers from the Saga University and Fudan University have published a dissertation titled "Structural and luminescent properties of Eu-doped Ga₂O₃ thin films prepared by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition" in Journal of Luminescence.

Abstract

      Eu-doped Ga₂O₃ thin films were deposited on sapphire (0001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition assisted with a homemade oxygen plasma source. Oxygen plasma assistance at 300 W significantly reduced the crystallization onset temperature to 200 °C compared with conventional PLD growth without plasma assistance. Correspondingly, well-resolved Eu³⁺ emission spectra were observed at 200 °C, indicating that high-power oxygen plasma facilitates Eu³⁺ luminescence under reduced-temperature growth conditions. At the same substrate temperature, films deposited under 300 W plasma exhibited significantly stronger red emission than those grown under 100 W plasma. X-ray rocking curve measurements further indicated that higher plasma power enabled comparable crystalline quality to be achieved at reduced growth temperatures. In addition, the decline in room-temperature PL intensity at elevated growth temperatures was effectively suppressed under plasma-assisted growth conditions. These results demonstrate that oxygen plasma-assisted PLD is an effective approach for achieving low-temperature crystallization and enhanced Eu³⁺ luminescence in Ga₂O₃ thin films, providing a promising route for the fabrication of rare-earth-doped oxide optoelectronic materials at reduced growth temperatures.

DOI：

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlumin.2026.122069