The role of thickness on the structural and luminescence properties of Y2O3:Ho3+, Yb3+ upconversion films

The structural, surface, and upconversion (UC) luminescence properties of Y 2 O 3 :Ho 3+ ,Yb 3+ films grown by pulsed laser deposition, for different numbers of laser pulses, were studied. The crystallinity, surface, and UC luminescence properties of the thin films were found to be highly dependent on the number of laser pulses. The X-ray powder diffraction analysis revealed that Y 2 O 3 :Ho 3+ ,Yb 3+ films were formed in a cubic structure phase with an Ia 3 ¯ space group. The thicknesses of the films were estimated by using cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, depth profiles using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the Swanepoel method. The high-resolution XPS was used to determine the chemical composition and oxidation states of the prepared films. The UC emissions were observed at 538, 550, 666, and 756 nm, assigned to the 5 F 4 → 5 I 8 , 5 S 2 → 5 I 8 , 5 F 5 → 5 I 8 , and 5 S 2 → 5 I 7 transitions of the Ho 3+ ions. The power dependence measurements confirmed the involvement of a two-photon process in the UC process. The color purity estimated from the Commission International de I’Eclairage coordinates confirmed strong green UC emission. The results suggested that the Y 2 O 3 :Ho 3+ ,Yb 3+ UC transparent films are good candidates for various applications, including solar cell applications.