Evaluation of alkoxide β-diketonates Ce(III), Er(III), Ln(III) complexes as precursors for the photo-deposition of CeO2:Er/Ln amorphous thin films and their influence on the luminescent properties (where Ln = Pr or Yb)

We propose the use of alkoxide β-diketonates of Ce(III), Er(III), Pr(III) and Yb(III) as precursors for photochemical deposition of CeO2:Er and CeO2:Er/Ln (Ln = Pr or Yb) thin films, followed by subsequent annealing at 950 °C. The measurements of luminescent properties revealed that CeO2:Er samples under excitation at 980 nm exhibit up-conversion emissions at 540 nm and near infrared emissions centered at 1550 nm. When co-doping is performed on the CeO2 films, CeO2:Er/Pr reduces its up-conversion characteristics and the NIR emissions increase. However, the CeO2:Er/Yb samples significantly increase the up-conversion properties and inhibit NIR emissions. Different mechanisms based on energy transfer processes are proposed to explain these differences in the degree of intensity of these emissions.