Determination of thermoluminescence kinetic parameters of terbium-doped zirconium oxide

In recent years considerable importance has been attached to zirconium oxide doped with rare earth (ZrO₂ : RE) thin films due to their desirable characteristics for use in UV dosimetry. In our laboratories we have developed a method to prepare ZrO₂ : RE thin films. Dosimetric characteristics of these materials have been reported previously (Azorin et al., Radiat. Meas. 29 (1998) 315; Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 85 (1999) 317) and results of these have stimulated continued development and analysis of the thermoluminescence mechanism. Two important parameters to be determined in TL studies are the activation energy (E) and the frequency factor (s). This paper presents the results of determining kinetic parameters of terbium-doped zirconium oxide (ZrO₂ : Tb) thin films, exposed to 260 nm UV light, using the Lushchik (Sov. Phys. JETF 3 (1956) 390) and Chen (J. Appl. Phys. 40 (1969) 570; J. Electrochem. Soc. 166 (1969) 1254) methods. Kinetic analysis of the glow curve shows second order kinetics for both the first and second glow peaks.