Abstract
Rare-earth (RE) doped silicon-oxide (SiOx) films were prepared by sputtering a combined Si + RE2O3 target with argon ions. The study comprised the neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm) rare-earth species and the Si + RE2O3 targets were obtained by partially covering a solid disc of Si with area-defined thin layers of Nd2O3 or Sm2O3 powders. The films were investigated by energy-dispersive x-ray, Raman scattering, optical transmission, and photo-luminescence measurements. According to the experimental results, in the as-deposited form, the films were amorphous and presented RE and oxygen concentrations that scaled with the RE2O3 target area. Additional compositional-structural changes were obtained by thermal annealing the films under a flow of oxygen. Within these changes, one can mention: increase of oxygen concentration, optical bandgap widening, partial Si crystallization, and the development of RE-related light emission. The main aspects associated to the production and structural-optical properties of the films, as determined either by the deposition conditions or by the annealing treatments, are presented and discussed in detail.
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