Optical waveguide based on amorphous Er3+-doped Ga-Ge-Sb-S(Se) pulsed laser deposited thin films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 518; no. 17; pp. 4941 - 4947
• Main Authors: NAZABAL, V, NEMEC, P, ADAM, J.-L, JURDYC, A. M, ZHANG, S, CHARPENTIER, F, LHERMITE, H, CHARRIER, J, GUIN, J. P, MOREAC, A, FRUMAR, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 30.06.2010
• Subjects: Chalcogenides; Chemical Sciences; Composition and phase identification; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Laser deposition; Material chemistry; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Micro and nanotechnologies; Microelectronics; Optical properties; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Rare earth metals; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectra; Spectroscopy; Structure and morphology; thickness; Sulfides; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films; Amorphous material; Atomic force microscopy; Photonic band gap; Amorphous thin film; Refractive index; Doping; Photoluminescence; Amorphous materials; Rare earth compounds; Gallium additions; Optical waveguides; Chalcogenides; Integrated circuits; Thin films; Multilayers; Optical properties; Size effect; Absorption spectra; Optical films; Scanning electron microscopy; Phase composition; Multilayer; Antimony; Pulsed laser deposition; Raman spectroscopy; Dispersive spectrometry; Selenides; Operating conditions; Near infrared radiation; Chalcogenide sulphide; Laser ablation technique; Germanium additions; photoluminescence
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.03.030

Amorphous chalcogenide films play a motivating role in the development of integrated planar optical circuits due to their potential functionality in near infrared (IR) and mid-IR spectral regions. More specifically, the photoluminescence of rare earth ions in amorphous chalcogenide films can be used in laser and amplifier devices in the IR spectral domain. The aim of the present investigation was to optimize the deposition conditions for the fabrication of undoped and Er3+ doped sulphide and selenide thin films with nominal composition Ga5Ge20Sb10S(Se)65 or Ga5Ge23Sb5S67 by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The study of compositional, morphological and structural characteristics of the layers was realized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyses, respectively. Some optical properties (transmittance, index of refraction, optical band gap, etc.) of prepared chalcogenide films and optical losses were investigated as well. The clear identification of near-IR photoluminescence of Er3+ ions was obtained for both selenide and sulphide films. The decay of the 4I13/2 a' 4I15/2 transition at 1.54Akm in Er3+ doped Ga5Ge20Sb10S65 PLD sulphide films was studied to assess the effects of film thickness, rare earth concentration and multilayer PLD deposition on their spectroscopic properties.