Synthesis and characterization of small dimensional tructures of Er-Doped SnO2 and Erbium-Tin-Oxide

Abstract

Microtubes of Er-doped SnO2, as well as nanorods and nanoparticles, have been fabricated by a thermal evaporation deposition method at temperatures between 1400 and 1500 degrees C, by using a pellet of compacted SnO2 and Er2O3 powder mixture as precursor. Er2Sn2O7 has been also detected by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the microtubes contain a small amount of Er, below 0.5 at. %, different from regions from the surface of the pellets where the tubes grow, which shows a variable Er concentration up to 25 at. %. Cathodoluminescence spectra confirmed the presence of Er in the microtubes, as well as in the surface of the pellet, where emissions in the visible and the infrared range at 1.87, 2.23, and 0.81 eV are observed. The luminescence signal varies as a function of the thermal parameters used during the microtubes growth. The mechanisms of Er incorporation are discussed.