The influence of post-deposition annealing on the structure, morphology and luminescence properties of pulsed laser deposited La_0.5Gd_1.5SiO₅ doped Dy³⁺ thin films

The influence of post-deposition annealing on the structure, particle morphology and photoluminescence properties of dysprosium (Dy³⁺) doped La_0.5Gd_1.5SiO₅ thin films grown on Si(111) substrates at different substrate temperatures using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique were studied. The X-ray diffractometer results showed an improved crystallinity after post-annealing. The topography and morphology of the post-annealed films were studied using atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy respectively. The elemental composition in the surface region of the films were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The photoluminescence studies showed an improved luminescent after post-annealing. The cathodoluminescence properties of the films are also reported. The CIE colour coordinates calculated from the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence data suggest that the films can have potential application in white light emitting diode (LED) and field emission display (FED) applications.