Structural and optical properties of yttrium oxide thin films for planar waveguiding applications

Abstract

Thin films of Yttrium Oxide, Y₂O₃ were deposited by reactive sputtering and reactive evaporation to determine their suitability as a host for a rare earth doped planar waveguide upconversion laser. The optical properties, structure and crystalline phase of the films were found to be dependent on the deposition method and process parameters. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis on the 'as-deposited' thin films revealed that the films vary from amorphous to highly crystalline with a strong peak along the <222> plane of Y₂O₃. The samples with the polycrystalline structure had a stoichometry close to bulk cubic Y₂O₃. SEM imaging revealed a regular column structure confirming their crystalline nature. The thin film layers which allowed guiding in both the visible and infra-red region had lower refractive indices, higher oxygen content and had a more amorphous structure. Higher oxygen pressures during the deposition leads to a more amorphous layer.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for J.S. Wilkinson: orcid.org/0000-0003-4712-1697

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics