CaS:Eu,Sm and CaS:Ce,Sm films grown by embedding active powder into an inert matrix

CaS:Eu,Sm and CaS:Ce,Sm films of different thickness were deposited on Corning glass by a chemical technique based on the embedding of the active powder into an inert matrix. The films grown appeared to be homogeneous and uniform and quite transparent in visible range. Moreover, they had a polycrystalline structure and a homogeneous grain size distribution, both similar to that of the commercial powders. Finally, strong photoluminescence (PL) was observed for both materials, its intensity depending on the film thickness. This work indicates that the technique employed can be suitable for the preparation of rare-earth-doped alkaline sulfides films. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.