Optical properties of spin-coated Er-doped Ga1As39S60 Chalcogenide thin films

Spin-coating of Chalcogenide glasses is a cost-effective and flexible method to produce thin films applicable in photonics. In this paper Er was doped into Ga1As39S60 glass by melt quenching technique and solutions for spin coating were prepared from glass powders dissolved in Propylamine and Ethylendiamine. Substrates used were microscopic slides (refractive index of about 1.51). Applied layers were dried in 60 ℃  vacume for 60 min and then heat treated at 150 ℃  for 60 min in Nitrogen Atmosphere. Influence of solvent type on optical parameters of films and the amount of residual solvent was studied by examining UV visible infrared spectroscopy. According to AFM images, surface roughness of layers was about 3.3-3.5 nm. Although films demonstrated PL emission at 1.55 µm, emission intensity was higher at the films deposited from PA solvent. EDS mapping images showed no clusters of Er within the glass matrix.