X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis for undegraded and degraded Gd2O2S:Tb3+ phosphor thin films

This paper presents the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis for the undegraded and degraded Gd2O2S:Tb3+ thin film phosphor. The thin films were grown with the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. XPS measurements were done on Gd2O2S:Tb3+ phosphor thin films before and after electron degradation. The XPS technique has proven the presence of Gd2O3 on the degraded and undegraded thin film spots. The presence of the SO2 bonding was also detected after degradation. This clearly indicates that surface reactions did occur during prolonged electron bombardment in an oxygen atmosphere.