Optical and Structural Characterization of Erbium-Doped TiO[sub 2] Xerogel Films Processed on Porous Anodic Alumina

Abstract

Titania films, doped with erbium, were fabricated on porous anodic alumina from a Ti(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 precursor. The samples, subjected to thermal processing up to 1270 K, exhibited strong luminescence at 1.53 μ.m associated with 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transistions of Er 3- ions in the TiO 2 xerogel. The intensity of photoluminesccncc increased with the number of xerogel film depositions onto alumina. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses show that the pores of anodic alumina arc filled by the xerogel after sequential spinning of ten layers. Cooling of the samples to 4.2 K gives enhancement of the intensity of the Er-related hand at 1.53 μm and narrowing of the full width at half maximum from 20 to 10 nm. © 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.