Influence of local atomic configuration in AlGdN phosphor thin films on deep ultra-violet luminescence intensity

We investigated the narrowband ultraviolet emission properties of Al 0.94 Gd 0.06 N phosphor thin films pumped by an electron beam. An extremely narrow luminescence line, which was less than 1 nm from the intra-orbital f-f transition in Gd 3+ ions, was confirmed at 318 nm. The corresponding emission efficiency was improved by decreasing the growth temperature. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of the local atomic structure revealed that a low-temperature growth led to the formation of a uniform atomic configuration around Gd, which was found to play a key role in improving the luminescence intensity of the films.