Surface thermometry in combustion diagnostics by sputtered thin films of thermographic phosphors

Abstract

The accuracy and robustness of the thermographic phosphors (TP) technique relies in the use of coatings with low thickness, high-intensity luminescent emission and high adhesion to the surfaces. Sputter deposition has been evaluated as an alternative for coating preparation of TPs for surface thermometry in combustion diagnostics. Thin films of \(\hbox {Gd}_{3}\hbox {Ga}_{5}\hbox {O}_{12}{:}\hbox {Cr}^{3+}\) have been deposited on fused silica and stainless steel substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Physical, chemical, and temperature-dependent luminescence properties of the phosphor films have been evaluated using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and laser-induced luminescence, respectively. The results showed that the luminescence features of the thin films must be activated by heat treatment after sputter deposition. The \(\hbox {Gd}_{3}\hbox {Ga}_{5}\hbox {O}_{12}{:}\hbox {Cr}^{3+}\) films exhibited appropriate temperature sensitivity with adequate precision of the temperature determination, proving to be suitable for pointwise (0D) surface thermometry. An evaluation of the spatial homogeneity of the luminescence properties, which has not been yet addressed in the literature for thin films of TPs, revealed that thin \(\hbox {Gd}_3\hbox {Ga}_5\hbox {O}_{12}{:}\hbox {Cr}^{3+}\) films deposited on fused silica can be used for spatially resolved surface thermometry while those deposited on stainless steel require improvements to overcome spatial inhomogeneities of the luminescence lifetimes.