RETRACTED ARTICLE: The effect of deposition pressure on the material properties of pulsed laser deposited BaAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ thin films

BaAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ thin films have been successfully deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Formation of crystalline phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. The average crystallite size calculates using the Scherer’s formula was found to be between 15.2 and 30.5 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph revealed that, the films have non uniform morphology with variable grain size for all the deposition conditions. The surface morphology displays some tendency for agglomeration as a function of increasing deposition pressure, which may be due to the sintering or coalesce of small particles into clusters. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements also show an increase in surface roughness as the oxygen deposition pressure is increased. The BaAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ thin-film phosphors exhibit photoluminescence (PL) emission at 495 nm upon 254 nm excitation. This can be attributed to the electronic transition of Eu²⁺ ions from 4f⁶5d¹ to 4f. The present study recommends that this phosphor could be used as luminescent materials for light emitting diode applications.