Preparation and characterization of GdTaO4:Eu3+ sol-gel luminescence thin films

High quality GdTaO4: Eu3+ luminescence films have been successfully prepared through a modified sol-gel process. The films were prepared using inorganic materials as raw materials, and the thermal decomposition and UV assisted technique were introduced to improve the quality of the film and reduce the period for forming the thick film. Results of structural studies by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the surface was smooth and the structure was monoclinic with the average grain size of about 55 nm. The emission and excitation spectra of the film were investigated. Related to the transition D-5(0) -> F-7(1) and D-5(0)-> F-7(2) of Eu3+ ions, the main luminescence peaks were observed at 591 and 611 nm respectively, and the luminescence peak at 345 nm was detected simultaneously related to the TaO43- emission. Transmission spectrum and decay curve of the luminescence are also presented in this paper.