DEPOSITION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTICOMPONENT OXIDE-FILMS AND MULTILAYERS FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

Uniform films of rare-earth-doped zirconia and yttrium aluminum garnet have been deposited from aqueous solutions of stoichiometric mixtures of the precursor metal nitrates to which an organic complexant such a s the simple amino acid glycine has been added. The presence of glycin e prevents precipitation by trapping metal cations and nitrate anions in the evolving glassy matrix as water evaporates during spin casting of films. Subsequent thermal processing above 200 degrees C generates the target oxide composition. High index films with a nanosize grain m orphology result. The resident small crystalline grains aid in stabili zing a particular phase of the oxide. The presence of the Sm3+ dopant in the films facilitates phase identification through analysis of the fluorescence emission spectrum. This technique complements X-ray diffr action and Raman spectroscopy measurements which are used routinely to identify crystalline phases and evaluate phase homogeneity in optical films. The fluorescence measurement technique is a rapid non-destruct ive approach for investigating the influence of processing variables o n the resulting crystalline phase and phase stability during subsequen t annealing.