Properties of Erbium and Ytterbium Doped Gallium Nitride Layers Fabricated by Magnetron Sputtering

• Main Authors: V. Prajzler, Z. Burian, I. Hüttel, J. Špirková, J. Hamáček, J. Oswald, J. Zavadil, V. Peřina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: CTU Central Library 2006-01-01
• Series: Acta Polytechnica
• Subjects: Gallium nitride; Erbium; Ytterbium; magnetron sputtering; photoluminescence
• Online Access: https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/ap/article/view/900
• ISSN: 1210-2709; 1805-2363

We report about some properties of erbium and erbium/ytterbium doped gallium nitride (GaN) layers fabricated by magnetron sputtering on<br />silicon, quartz and Corning glass substrates. For fabricating GaN layers two types of targets were used - gallium in a stainless steel cup and<br />a Ga₂O₃ target. Deposition was carried out in the Ar+N₂ gas mixture. For erbium and ytterbium doping into GaN layers, erbium metallic<br />powder and ytterbium powder or Er₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃ pellets were laid on the top of the target. The samples were characterized by X-ray<br />diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectra and nuclear analytical methods. While the use of a metallic gallium target ensured the<br />deposition of well-developed polycrystalline layers, the use of gallium oxide target provided GaN films with poorly developed crystals. Both<br />approaches enabled doping with erbium and ytterbium ions during deposition, and typical emission at 1 530 nm due to the Er³⁺ intra-4f ⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2 transition was observed.