The influence of lithium doping on the crystallization, the surface morphology, and the luminescent properties of pulsed laser deposited Y2-xGdxO3:Eu3+ thin film phosphors was investigated. The crystallinity, the surface morphology, and the photoluminescence (PL) of films depended highly on the Li-doping and the Gd content. The relationship between the crystalline and morphological structures and the luminescent properties was studied, and Li+ doping was found to effectively enhance not only the crystallinity but also the luminescent brightness of Y2-xGdxO3:EU3+ thin films. In particular, the incorporation of Li and Gd into the Y2O3 lattice could induce remarkable increase in the PL. The highest emission intensity was observed Li-doped Y1.35Gd0.6O3:Eu3+ thin films whose brightness was increased by a factor of 4.6 in comparison with that of Li-doped Y2O3:Eu3+ thin films. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.