Effect of co-doping with Ce, Tb and Mn on the morphological, structural and optical properties of alumina films

ABSTRACT The lighting system has undergone some changes over the years. Currently the LED (Light Emitting Diode) system has stood out, showing that it has the potential to emit light more efficiently and still reducing the consumption of electric energy. The main objective of this work was the analysis of the photoluminescence of the films produced using the spray-pyrolysis deposition technique, which has the characteristic of being a simple, low cost and efficient system. In addition, the effects of co-doping with cerium, terbium and manganese on the morphological, structural and optical properties of alumina films were investigated. The influence of the substrate temperature, which varied between 300 and 450 °C, on the absorbance, transmittance and photoluminescent emission spectra for films deposited by spray-pyrolysis on glass substrates was analyzed. The precursor solution flow was set at 0.5 mL/min and the deposition time of 3 minutes. By co-doping with Ce (5 at.%), Tb (1 at.%) and Mn (1 at.%) in alumina films was possible to obtain white light emission. The best luminescent emission condition was the sample deposited at 300 °C. The spray pyrolysis deposition technique proved effective in obtaining photoluminescent films, confirming the ability for applications in efficient lighting systems, such as w-LED (white light emitting diode).