Ultraviolet Peak Research Articles

Structural and photoluminescence properties of SnO 2:Ga films deposited on α-Al 2O 3 (0 0 0 1) by MOCVD

Gallium-doped tin oxide (SnO 2:Ga) films have been prepared on α-Al 2O 3 (0 0 0 1) substrates at 500 °C by the pulse mode metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method. The relative amount of Ga (Ga/(Ga+Sn) atomic ratio) varied from 3% to 15%. Post-deposition annealing of the films was carried out at different temperatures for 1.5 h in ambient atmosphere . The structural, electrical, optical and photoluminescence (PL) properties of the films have been investigated as a function of annealing temperature. All the films have the rutile structure of pure SnO 2 with a strong (2 0 0) preferred orientation. A single ultraviolet (UV) PL peak near 337.83 nm was observed at room temperature for the 3% Ga-doped as-grown film and near 336 nm for the 15%-doped film, which can be ascribed to electron transition from the oxygen vacancy and interstitial Ga 3+ donor levels to the acceptor level formed by the substitution of Ga 3+ for the Sn site. After annealing, the luminescence spectra have changed a little bit, which is being discussed in detail.

Melting of Zn nanoparticles embedded in SiO2 at high temperatures: Effects on surface plasmon resonances

Zn nanoparticles at room temperature show two absorption peaks in the near-infrared (NIR) and the ultraviolet (UV) regions, both of which satisfy the criterion of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). From x-ray diffraction at high temperatures, it was found that the Zn nanoparticles in SiO2 melt at 360–420 °C and solidify at 250–310 °C with a large temperature hysteresis. While the NIR peak disappears with melting, the UV peak shows sudden energy shift with melting but survives even after the melting. The first-principle band calculation ascribes the UV and NIR peaks to SPR-enhanced inter- and intraband transitions, respectively.

Processing and characterisation of Mo6S2I8nanowires

One-dimensional nanostructures based on the Mo-S-I system have recently aroused a lot of interest as a viable alternative to the ubiquitous carbon nanotube due to their uniform structure and electronic properties for a given composition. Previous research on the Mo(6)S(3)I(6) and Mo(6)S(4.5)I(4.5) stoichiometries has also shown them to be soluble in common solvents like water, acetone or isopropyl alcohol, and to debundle on dilution. Here, the solubility, debundling and composition of Mo(6)S(2)I(8) nanowires are presented. They were found to be most soluble in dimethylformamide, which retained 47 wt% of a 0.08 gl(-1) nanowire (NW) material dispersion as thin NW bundles after one week. Dispersions of 0.8 gl(-1) and 5 gl(-1) even retained 54 wt% and 66 wt%, respectively. However the NW material was completely insoluble in water, and the surface energy of Mo(6)S(2)I(8) NWs was deduced as 67 mJ m(-2), higher than for other Mo-S-I NWs. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy showed nanowire peaks familiar from Mo(6)S(3)I(6) and Mo(6)S(4.5)I(4.5) spectra around 1.8 and 2.8 eV, as well as unforeseen ultraviolet peaks at 3.5 and 4.4 eV. These chemical differences suggest an alternate, more strongly bonded structure to that seen for Mo(6)S(3)I(6) and Mo(6)S(4.5)I(4.5) NWs. Films deposited from a range of concentrations were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine bundle diameter distributions. The average diameter and the spread in diameters were found to decrease somewhat with decreasing concentration. However extrapolation gave a finite bundle size at infinite dilution, and an extension of the existing debundling model is proposed to take this into account. To confirm the nominal stoichiometry of Mo(6)S(2)I(8), which does not follow the generic Mo(6)S(x)I(9-x) formula of previous stoichiometries, EDX was carried out. The composition of nanowire bundles was found to be Mo(6)S(2.3)I(8.6), supporting the nominal composition.

Zinc oxide nanorod-based heterostructures on solid and soft substrates for white-light-emitting diode applications

ZnO nanorods with excellent optical and electro-optical emission characteristics were grown using high- and low-temperature techniques on solid and soft substrate materials. The solid crystalline substrates included p-4H-SiC and p-GaN, while the soft amorphous substrates included p-type polymers deposited on glass and flexible plastic. Two different growth approaches were used to produce these samples. We used the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) technique (high temperature) and aqueous chemical growth (ACG), which is a low-temperature technique. These ZnO nanorod samples were characterized by room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and processed to fabricate light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The LED characteristics were further investigated by I–V and electroluminescence (EL). As observed by PL measurements, all samples revealed a sharp narrow ultraviolet (UV) peak due to band-edge emission, indicating the good crystalline quality of the grown ZnO nanorods. The origin of the different peaks within the visible region was correlated to different deep level defects reported earlier for ZnO. All fabricated LEDs showed EL providing a wide band extended through the whole visible spectrum and hence produced clear white light observable to the naked eye. The emitted color quality investigation showed that superior color quality was manifested in a high color rendering index and stable color under current variation, indicating that these heterojunction and hybrid LEDs have potential for the development of future light sources. The ZnO nanorod-based LEDs grown by low-temperature ACG on glass and flexible plastic can, after further development, be candidates for future large-area white-light sources.

The effects of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of S-doped ZnO nanobelts

In this study, the effects of thermal annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of S-doped ZnO nanobelts were investigated. The XRD pattern shows that the crystallinity of S-doped ZnO nanobelts improves with increased annealing temperature. Room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy of the as-grown S-doped ZnO nanobelts shows no detectable ultraviolet peak with the broad peaks in the visible emission region at 480, 505, and 518 nm. A weak peak in the ultraviolet region at 383 nm appears after annealing at 400 and 600 °C. Raman spectroscopy of the sample also shows a significant change with an increase in the annealing temperature.

Study on the p-MgZnO/i-ZnO/n-MgZnO light-emitting diode fabricated by MOCVD

A p-MgZnO/i-ZnO/n-MgZnO light-emitting diode was fabricated on a GaAs substrate by metal–organic chemical vapour deposition. The I–V curve of the device exhibited typical rectifying behaviour of the p–i–n diode and the forward turn-on voltage was about 7 V. An obvious ultraviolet peak can be observed in the electroluminescence spectrum corresponding to the radiative recombination of carriers. The dependences of the characteristics on the thickness of the ZnO interlayer were also studied. The results showed that the intensity of the UV peak increased as the thickness of the ZnO layer decreased. A clear blue shift can also be observed at the same time. The thickness of the ZnO layer had an important effect on the optical qualities of the device.

Visual cues and parental favouritism in a nocturnal bird

Visual signals are crucial for parent-offspring communication, although their functioning has been neglected for nocturnal birds. Here, we investigated parental preference for nestling coloration in nocturnal conditions--a question hitherto unexplored--in a nocturnal raptor, the scops owl (Otus scops). We assessed how parents allocated food during the night in relation to a manipulation of ultraviolet (UV) reflectance of the cere (skin above the beak) of their offspring. Reflectance of the cere shows a marked peak in the UV part of the spectrum, and location of the UV peak is related to nestling body mass (i.e. heavier nestlings have a UV peak at lower wavelengths). We found evidence of parental bias in favour of lighter offspring: UV-reduced nestlings gained more weight during the night than their control siblings. This study provides the first experimental evidence of the use of visual cues for parent-offspring communication in a nocturnal bird.

Structural, electrical and optical properties of transparent Zn1 − xMgxO nanocomposite thin films

Zn1−xMgxO thin films of various Mg compositions were deposited on quartz substrates using inexpensive ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. The influence of varying Mg composition and substrate temperature on structural, electrical and optical properties of Zn1−xMgxO films were systematically investigated. The structural transition from hexagonal to cubic phase has been observed for Mg content greater than 70mol%. AFM images of the Zn1−xMgxO films (x=0.3) deposited at optimized substrate temperature clearly reveals the formation of nanorods of hexagonal Zn1−xMgxO. The variation of the cation–anion bond length to Mg content shows that the lattice constant of the hexagonal Zn1−xMgxO decreases with corresponding increase in Mg content, which result in structure gradually deviating from wurtzite structure. The tuning of the band gap was obtained from 3.58 to 6.16eV with corresponding increase in Mg content. The photoluminescence results also revealed the shift in ultraviolet peak position towards the higher energy side.

Study on the defects of ZnO nanowire

The room-temperature photoluminescence property of ZnO nanowires was studied. It showed an ultraviolet peak and a visible light band in the PL spectrum. Through Gaussian fitting, it was found that the visible light band can be divided into two peaks at 2.37 eV and 2.53 eV, which was originated from oxygen antisite and oxygen vacancy defects, respectively. After being exposed to air or post-annealed in oxygen ambience, aging effect was observed and the peak at 2.53 eV disappeared due to the removal of oxygen vacancy defects. Therefore, it is suggested that oxygen antisite and oxygen vacancy coexist in ZnO and induce visible light emission.

Optical conductivity of multilayer graphene

The optical conductivity of graphene monolayer and multilayers are theoretically studied taking into account of the full dispersion, yielding results that are valid up to the ultraviolet region. Compared to the optical conductivity of monolayer graphene, extra peak structures appear in both the infrared and ultraviolet frequency regions for the multilayer case, which is understood as a combined effect of van Hove singularities in the energy band structures and optical transition selection rules. The number of ultraviolet peaks is equal to the number of layers. The number of infrared peaks in an even-layered graphene is equal to one half of the layer number. In odd-layered graphene, due to the existence of a monolayer-like subband, the number of infrared peaks is equal to that in the corresponding even-layered graphene with one layer less.

Effect of S- and Sn-doping to the optical properties of ZnO nanobelts

In this study, the optical properties of S- and Sn-doped ZnO nanobelts, grown by thermal evaporation, were investigated. The sulfur and tin contents in the nanobelts were about 12% and 8% (atomic), respectively. The average widths of the S- and Sn-doped ZnO nanobelts were 73 and 121 nm, respectively. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy exhibits significantly different optical properties for the two types of nanobelts. The PL result of the S-doped ZnO nanobelts shows the broad visible emission with no detectable ultraviolet (UV) peak, while the PL result of the Sn-doped sample shows two emission bands, one related to UV emission with a strong peak at 376 nm that is blue-shifted by 4 nm in comparison to pure ZnO nanobelts, and another related to green emission with a weak peak. A weak peak in the UV region at 383 nm appeared after annealing the S-doped ZnO nanobelts at 600 °C. Additionally, the annealed S-doped nanobelts show a stronger peak in the visible emission region in comparison to that observed prior to annealing. The Sn-doped ZnO nanobelts are also affected by annealing, as the UV emission peak is blue-shifted to 372 nm after annealing.

Effect of concentration of hexamethylene tetramine on the structural morphology and optical properties of ZnO microrods grown by low‐temperature solution approach

AbstractWe study the change in the structural morphology and optical properties of aqueous solution grown ZnO microrods on glass substrates with the change in the concentration of hexamethylene tetramine (HMT). The field emission scanning electron microscope images of the microrods grown for equimolar (1:1) ratio of Zn2+ salt and HMT exhibit the highest aspect ratio, 8.3, which decreases gradually, while the relative intensity of the (100) peak in the X‐ray diffractogram increases with increase in the HMT concentration. The change in the morphology from a perfect hexagonal to an oval‐shaped needle is experimentally supported by the high‐resolution transmission electron microscope results. A sharp and strong ultraviolet photoluminescence peak ensures good structural quality of the microrods for the molar ratios 1:1 and 1:3 above which the quality degrades. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structural and optical properties of single-crystal ZnMgO thin films grown on sapphire and ZnO substrates by RF magnetron sputtering

High-quality ZnMgO films were grown by the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique in pure oxygen ambient. Single-crystal films were obtained, when the Mg concentration was Zn 0.87Mg 0.13O or lower in the case of ZnMgO/Al 2O 3 and when it was Zn 0.65Mg 0.35O or lower in the case of ZnMgO/ZnO. Polycrystalline films were obtained when the growth temperature was lower than 500 °C, regardless of the Mg concentration. Position of the photoluminescence (PL) ultraviolet (UV) peak of the ZnMgO film shifted with the addition of Mg, from 3.33 eV (ZnO) to 3.51 eV (Zn 0.87Mg 0.13O) and 3.70 eV (Zn 0.65Mg 0.35O). It was also observed that growth of the ZnMgO films at higher temperature resulted in higher band-gap energy. It was proposed that this phenomenon is because concentration of the substitutional Mg atoms occupying Zn site is increased as the growth temperature increases.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ZnO NANORODS AND NANOWIRES USING PVP AS CAPPING

In this study, ZnO nanowires are synthesized via ZnO nanorods at low temperature by using zinc acetate dehydrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone as precursor and capping, respectively. We use chemical solution method for synthesis of ZnO nanowires. Samples are characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. First, the nanorods are prepared at 300°C temperature, and then they are put into the furnace under air atmosphere at 450°C for 2 h. It is observed that nanowires with 20 nm diameter are produced. Photoluminescence spectra of nanorods and nanowires are compared. It shows that intensity of ultraviolet peak in the nanowires decreases but in contrast the intensity of green emission part increases. This is because, the surface effects such as oxygen vacancies increase in the structures of ZnO .

Fractionation of metal complexes with dissolved organic matter in a rhizosphere soil solution of a humus-rich Andosol using size exclusion chromatography with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

To better understand the behavior of metals in soil–plant systems, their physicochemical forms in rhizosphere soil should be elucidated. The dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a soil solution influences the mobility and bioavailability of metals in soil. The present study examined the effects of plant growth on DOM–metal complexes in a rhizosphere soil solution using size exclusion chromatography combined with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer system (SEC–ICP-MS) and an ultrafiltration technique. Humus-rich volcanic ash soil from the surface of an agricultural field was used in a pot cultivation experiment. Brassica rapa nothovar. was cultivated in a pot in which rhizosphere soil (R) was separated by a nylon net screen from non-rhizosphere soil (NR). Soil solutions were collected using a high-speed centrifugation method 3 weeks after sowing and analyzed using SEC–ICP-MS. Some peaks of DOM with a high molecular size were detected in the ultraviolet-absorbing chromatograph (280 nm) of the soil solution samples. Their concentrations were much higher in the R solution than in the NR solution. Metals including Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Y, La and U were detected at the ultraviolet peak positions of the DOM. The ultrafiltration experiment showed that the size distributions of the organic materials to which the metals were combined differed between the R and NR soil solutions. These results suggest that plant growth enhanced the dissolution of metals adsorbed with organic matter from the solid phase in rhizosphere soil.

Epitaxial growth of highly transparent and conducting Sc-doped ZnO films on c-plane sapphire by sol–gel process without buffer

Highly transparent and conductive scandium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Sc) films were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by sol–gel technique using zinc acetate dihydrate [Zn(CH 3COO) 2·2H 2O] as precursor, 2-methoxyethanol as solvent and monoethanolamine as a stabilizer. The doping with scandium is achieved by adding 0.5 wt% of scandium nitrate hexahydrate [(ScNO 3·6H 2O)] in the solution. The influence of annealing temperature (300–550 °C) on the structural, optical and electrical properties was investigated. X-ray Diffraction study revealed that highly c-axis oriented films with full-width half maximum of 0.16° are obtained at an annealing temperature of 400 °C. The surface morphology of the films was judged by SEM and AFM images which indicated formation of grains. The average transmittance was found to be above 92% in the visible region. ZnO:Sc film, annealed at 400 °C exhibited minimum resistivity of 1.91 × 10 −4 Ω cm. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements of the ZnO:Sc films annealed at 400 °C showed ultraviolet peak at ∼3.31eV with a FWHM of 11.2 meV, which are comparable to those found in high-quality ZnO films. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction pattern confirmed the epitaxial nature of the films even without introducing any buffer layer.

Structural and photoluminescence properties of GaN/ZnO core‐shell nanowires with their shells sputtered

AbstractWe have reported the preparation of ZnO‐coated GaN nanowires and investigated changes in the structural and photoluminescence (PL) properties by the application of a thermal annealing process. For fabricating the core‐shell nanowires, Zn target was used to sputter ZnO shell onto GaN core nanowires. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the annealed core‐shell nanowires clearly exhibited the ZnO as well as GaN phase. The transmissoin electron microscopy (TEM) investigation suggested that annealing has induced the crystallization of ZnO shell layer. We have carried out Gaussian deconvolution analysis for the measured PL spectra, revealing that the core GaN nanowires exhibited broad emission which consist of red, yellow, blue, and ultraviolet peaks. ZnO‐sputtering induced new peaks in the green region. Thermal annealing reduced the relative intensity of the green emission. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Microstructural and optical properties of ZnO/(Ni) thin films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering

ZnO and Ni-doped ZnO thin films were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of oxygen partial pressures and Ni dopant on the microstructure and optical properties were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, respectively. The results show that ZnO thin films are successfully prepared with smooth surface and preferred orientation growth, showing structure of single crystal. The transmission of all the ZnO thin films keeps above 90%. When doped with Ni, the transmission of ZnO thin film decreases dramatically, the absorption edge and the ultraviolet photoluminescence peak are red shifted. It might be due to the formation of the defect energy level of Ni below the conduction band of ZnO. There are two photoluminescence peaks in all the thin films. The ultraviolet peak at 400 nm originates from the transition emission of the electrons from the conduction band to the valence band. While the blue peak at 466 nm might be attributed to interstitial zinc, whose intensity decreases with increasing the oxygen partial pressure but increases when doped with Ni.

Confining Light to Deep Subwavelength Dimensions to Enable Optical Nanopatterning

In the past, the formation of microscale patterns in the far field by light has been diffractively limited in resolution to roughly half the wavelength of the radiation used. Here, we demonstrate lines with an average width of 36 nanometers (nm), about one-tenth the illuminating wavelength lambda1 = 325 nm, made by applying a film of thermally stable photochromic molecules above the photoresist. Simultaneous irradiation of a second wavelength, lambda2 = 633 nm, renders the film opaque to the writing beam except at nodal sites, which let through a spatially constrained segment of incident lambda1 light, allowing subdiffractional patterning. The same experiment also demonstrates a patterning of periodic lines whose widths are about one-tenth their period, which is far smaller than what has been thought to be lithographically possible.

Two-Color Single-Photon Photoinitiation and Photoinhibition for Subdiffraction Photolithography

Controlling and reducing the developed region initiated by photoexposure is one of the fundamental goals of optical lithography. Here, we demonstrate a two-color irradiation scheme whereby initiating species are generated by single-photon absorption at one wavelength while inhibiting species are generated by single-photon absorption at a second, independent wavelength. Co-irradiation at the second wavelength thus reduces the polymerization rate, delaying gelation of the material and facilitating enhanced spatial control over the polymerization. Appropriate overlapping of the two beams produces structures with both feature sizes and monomer conversions otherwise unobtainable with use of single- or two-photon absorption photopolymerization. Additionally, the generated inhibiting species rapidly recombine when irradiation with the second wavelength ceases, allowing for fast sequential exposures not limited by memory effects in the material and thus enabling fabrication of complex two- or three-dimensional structures.