Luminescence characteristics of Eu-doped $GdVO4$ thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition

$GdVO4$⁠:$Eu3+$ thin films were grown on $Al2O3$ (0001) substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoluminescence of the films were highly dependent on the deposition conditions, especially oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. The photoluminescence of $GdVO4$⁠:$Eu3+$ films grown under optimized conditions indicated that $Al2O3$ (0001) is a promising substrate for the growth of high-quality $GdVO4$⁠:$Eu3+$ phosphor films. In particular, the surface morphology and photoluminescence of $GdVO4$⁠:$Eu3+$ films show very similar behavior as a function of oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. The emitted radiation was dominated by the red-emission peak at 620 nm and this phosphor is promising for flat-panel-display applications.