Rare earth-activated 1-D photonic crystals were fabricated by RF-sputtering technique. The cavity is constituted by an Er³⁺-doped SiO₂ active layer inserted between two Bragg reflectors consisting of ten pairs of SiO₂/TiO₂ layers. Scanning electron microscopy is employed to put in evidence the quality of the sample, the homogeneities of the layers thickness and the good adhesion among them. Near infrared transmittance and variable angle reflectance spectra confirm the presence of a stop band from 1500 nm to 2000 nm with a cavity resonance centered at 1749 nm at 0° and a quality factor of 890. The influence of the cavity on the ⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2 emission band of Er³⁺ ion is also demonstrated.