Photoluminescence spectra of intracenter 4f transitions of rare-earth metal dopants in crystalline ZnO films

Abstract

The influence of annealing in the medium of an ionized nitrogen, additionally introduced impurities, and regimes of post-growth annealing on photoluminescence spectra of intracenter 4f transitions of rare-earth metal dopants (Ce, Eu, Sm, Er, Tm, Yb) in crystalline ZnO films has been investigated. The films have been prepared using molecular-beam epitaxial growth and magnetron sputtering. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, the films have a single-crystal structure. It has been shown that the annealing in the medium of an ionized nitrogen, regardless of the method used for producing the ZnO films, leads to significant changes in the photoluminescence spectrum, i.e., to a decrease in the emission intensity and a shift in the position of the emission maximum toward the long-wavelength range of the spectrum. The nitrogen concentration has been determined by the nuclear reaction method. It has been revealed that the spectra contain intense emission lines due to the intracenter 4f transitions of rare-earth elements (Sm, Er, Tm, Yb) in the crystalline ZnO films prepared by magnetron sputtering, and the intensity of the emission lines increases upon introduction of codopants, namely, Ce and Er.