Optical properties of Gd3+-doped ZnO:SiO2 thin films

For the first time Gd3+-doped (0.4-0.9 mass.%) ZnO:SiO2 composite films were obtained using the sol-gel method. Optical properties of the films and their structures were studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained SEM images suggest that the surface morphology of the films does not change qualitatively. However, it was found that doping with Gd3+ ions leads to a significant increase in the ultraviolet luminescence (UVL) of ZnO in ZnO:SiO2 composite by 2.9-3.4 times (λ em = 364 nm), which is accompanied by an increase in the band gap of Gd3+-doped films compared with non-doped films. © 2019 Astro Ltd.