Photoluminescence, optical absorption and XRD studies on X-ray irradiated terbium doped KBr crystals

This paper reports the optical absorption, photoluminescence (PL), XRD, SEM studies made on KBr:Tb³⁺ crystals. The integrated light intensity is enhanced by about two orders of magnitude as compared to the undoped samples in spite of some OH^- present in the samples. PL of these crystals exhibits characteristic Tb³⁺ emissions due to transitions from the ⁵D₃ to ⁵D₄ levels to various levels of the ⁷F septet on F-bleaching X-ray irradiated crystals Z₃ centers are observed. The bands observed in the emission spectra of Tb³⁺ doped KBr are found to be shifted to higher wavelength. The stokes-shift of KBr:Tb³⁺ is determined and it is found to have a large value. The XRD studies have been made to determine the crystalline structure of KBr and KBr:Tb³⁺ and also the Miller indices. The SEM studies made reveal the presence of microcrystalline structure.     

Optical and structural characterization of KBr crystals doped cadmium bromide (CdBr2)

In this paper we demonstrate the presence of CdBr₂ and cadmium aggregates in KBr matrix during Czochralski growth of KBr crystals. The chemical decomposition of CdBr₂ due to high temperature of crystallisation and reformation of cadmium bromide seems to be responsible for this effect.     

Studies on CdTe films deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique

Polycrystalline cadmium telluride films were successfully deposited on glass substrates by ablating a CdTe target by pulsed Nd–YAG laser. Microstructural studies indicated an increase in the average crystallite size from 15 nm to ∼50 nm with the increase in substrate temperature during deposition. The films deposited here were slightly tellurium rich. X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that the films deposited at 300 K had wurtzite structure while those deposited above 573 K were predominantly of zinc blende structure. Residual strain in the films deposited at 300 K was quite low as compared to those deposited at higher temperatures. PL spectra of all the CdTe films were dominated by a strong peak at ∼921 nm (∼1.347 eV) followed by a low intensity peak at ∼863 nm (∼1.438 eV). Characteristics Raman peaks for CdTe indicated a peak at ∼120 cm⁻¹ followed by peaks located at ∼140 cm⁻¹ and 160 cm⁻¹.     

Photoluminescence and electric spectroscopy of dislocation-induced electronic levels in semi-insulated CdTe and CdZnTe

We studied deformation-induced defects in semi-insulating CdTe and CdZnTe by infrared photoluminescence (PL), contact less photoconductivity and resistivity. Plastic deformation increased the concentrations of grown-in defects, namely, those of an important midgap level E_C−0.74 eV in CdTe and Cd_1−xZn_xTe (x<0.1), the materials of choice in today’s X-ray and gamma ray detector technology. We confirmed the direct correlation between Y-emission and the dislocation density in both compounds. The Y-band intensified near an indenter deformation or near a scribing line, but was barely visible in low-dislocation areas (etch pit density <2×10⁵ cm⁻²). Our results correlate with recent findings that dislocation-induced defects and their clusters degrade charge collection in radiation detectors. Photoluminescence of midgap levels can serve as a tool to identify areas of degraded performance in semi insulated CdTe and CdZnTe crystals for radiation detectors.     

CdTe,核 壳型CdTe/CdS及CdTe/ZnS量子点的合成及表征

在水相中制备了半导体CdTe纳米晶,核 壳型CdTe/CdS和CdTe/ZnS纳米晶（即量子点;QDs）.利用扫描隧道显微镜（STM）和荧光光谱(FS)对合成的纳米晶量子点进行了研究,并且根据FS的数据进行了量子效率的计算.STM的结果表明合成的量子点直径约为3 nm并且分布良好.为了提高量子效率,对Cd2+浓度和Cd2+∶S2－比例等反应条件进行了研究,结果表明随着回流时间的增加,核 壳型量子点CdTe/CdS的量子效率总体上呈下降趋势.CdTe/CdS在pH8.5,Cd2+∶S2－=10∶1（摩尔比）时可获得80.0%的最大量子效率.同时制备了核 壳型量子点CdTe/ZnS,其最大发射波长由551 nm（CdTe）红移到635 nm（CdTe/ZnS）表明量子点的尺寸在增长,但是量子效率下降到14.4%. 当前研究的量子点可适用于生物标记,生物成像,以及基于共振能量转移的生物传感研究.     

分子束外延生长[111]晶向CdTe的研究

本文采用分子束外延(MBE)方法在BaF₂衬底上直接外延生长了CdTe(111)薄膜. 反射高能电子衍射(RHEED)实时监控生长表面, 衍射图样揭示了CdTe(111)在BaF₂表面由二维生长向三维生长的变化过程．XRD表征验证了外延生长的CdTe薄膜的单晶性质．由红外透射光谱测量和理论拟合相结合, 得到了CdTe外延薄膜室温带隙宽度E_g=1.511 eV.     

Sonoelectrochemical synthesis of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots

A facile and fast one-pot method has been developed for the synthesis of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous phase by a sonoelectrochemical route without the protection of N₂. The morphology, structure and composition of the as-prepared products were investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The influences of current intensity, current pulse width, and reaction temperature on the photoluminescence (PL) and quantum yield (QY) of the products were studied. The experimental results showed that the water-soluble CdTe QDs with high PL qualities can be conveniently synthesized without precursor preparation and N₂ protection, and the PL emission wavelength and QY can be effectively controlled by adjusting some parameters. This method can be expected to prepare other QDs as promising building blocks in solar cell, photocatalysis and sensors.     

Photoluminescence properties of a novel conjugate of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots to guanine

A novel conjugate of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots to a small biomolecule guanine has been obtained in aqueous phase. The photoluminescence property and the stability of the conjugate increased comparing to CdTe QDs. The interaction between CdTe QDs and guanine was studied by TEM, fluorescence microscope and photoluminescence (PL), IR, UV-Vis spectra. The effects of reflux time, pH value, ionic strength, and the ratio of CdTe QDs to guanine on the photoluminescence properties of conjugate were investigated in detail. The results show that guanine has a great influence on both the photoluminescence property and stability of thioglycolic acid-stabilized CdTe QDs. The formation of coordination and hydrogen bond between guanine molecules and CdTe including thioglycolic acid on its surface may effectively enhance the PL intensity and stability of CdTe QDs. The maximum PL intensity of the conjugate was obtained on the condition with lower ionic strength, less than 30 min reflux time, neutral pH value and 6/1 as molar ratio of guanine to CdTe.     

功能性CdTe纳米晶的合成及自组装膜的发光性质

以巯基乙酸为稳定剂和修饰剂,采用湿化学法合成了功能性CdTe纳米晶;用X射线衍射（XRD）、选区电子衍射（SAED）和高分辨透射电镜（HRTEM）表征其粒度和形貌,制得的CdTe为立方单晶,近似呈球形,分散性较好,粒径约40-70nm;通过CdTe纳米晶与阳离子聚电解质聚二烯丙基二甲基氯化铵（PDDA）之间的静电相互作用,在石英基片表面通过静电自组装方法制备了多层CdTe纳米晶薄膜,以荧光分光光度计、UV-Vis和场发射扫描电子显微镜（SEM）测试手段对所得的CdTe纳米晶薄膜进行了表征;结果表明：所得CdTe-PDDA复合膜组装有序,分布均匀,该复合膜的荧光强度随着组装层数的增加而呈线性增强,具有良好的光致发光性,在554nm附近有绿色荧光发射。     

Synthesis and optical characterization of nanocrystalline CdTe thin films

From several years the study of binary compounds has been intensified in order to find new materials for solar photocells. The development of thin film solar cells is an active area of research at this time. Much attention has been paid to the development of low cost, high efficiency thin film solar cells. CdTe is one of the suitable candidates for the production of thin film solar cells due to its ideal band gap, high absorption coefficient. The present work deals with thickness dependent study of CdTe thin films. Nanocrystalline CdTe bulk powder was synthesized by wet chemical route at pH≈11.2 using cadmium chloride and potassium telluride as starting materials. The product sample was characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The structural characteristics studied by X-ray diffraction showed that the films are polycrystalline in nature. CdTe thin films with thickness 40, 60, 80 and 100 nm were prepared on glass substrates by using thermal evaporation onto glass substrate under a vacuum of 10⁻⁶ Torr. The optical constants (absorption coefficient, optical band gap, refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary part of dielectric constant) of CdTe thin films was studied as a function of photon energy in the wavelength region 400–2000 nm. Analysis of the optical absorption data shows that the rule of direct transitions predominates. It has been found that the absorption coefficient, refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) decreases while the values of optical band gap increase with an increase in thickness from 40 to 100 nm, which can be explained qualitatively by a thickness dependence of the grain size through decrease in grain boundary barrier height with grain size.     

Aqueous synthesis of thiol-capped CdTe quantum dots and its photoluminescence enhancement via room temperature treatment with alkyl chain diamines

In this study the CdTe quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized in aqueous solution with three thiol-contained capping ligands of thioglycollic acid (TGA), 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), and l-cysteine (lCys). The photoluminescence (PL) enhancement of the as-prepared QDs is also conducted via room temperature treatment with alkyl chain diamines. Our measurements on the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption and fluorescence emission reveal that both the growth kinetics and the PL efficiency of the QDs vary a lot with the molecular structures of the three involved ligands. In comparison with TGA and lCys, MPA endows the QDs with a wide color tuning range from cyan to deep red and strong PL emission while its full width at half maximum (FWHM) is regretfully large. Notable enhancement on PL emission is achieved for the TGA and MPA capped QDs via room temperature treatment with diamines solutions while in the case of the QDs capped by lCys the enhancement is practically meaningless.     

Electron-hole recombination confinement in self-organized AgBr nanocrystals in a crystalline KBr matrix

The phenomenon of spatial confinement of the electron-hole recombination in exchange-coupled donor-acceptor pairs was observed by optically detected magnetic resonance in AgBr nanocrystals formed as a result of the self-organized growth in an ionic KBr crystal matrix. The effect is manifested by the maximum distance between recombining donors and acceptors being restricted to the nanocrystal size and by a change in the g value of shallow electron donor centers. Based on an analysis of the exchange interactions, the distribution of distances in the donor-acceptor pairs is determined and the dimensions of nanocrystals are estimated.     

Fluorescent aggregates in naphthalene containing poly(urethane-urea)s

A series of segmented poly(urethane-urea)s containing naphthalene in the hard block and hexamethylene spacers in the soft block was prepared. The hard to soft segment ratio was varied systematically, to afford a series of polymers with various chromophore concentrations and a constant length of the chromophoric block, using a three-step synthetic procedure.The absorption, fluorescence and fluorescence-excitation spectra of solutions and films of the block copolymers provide strong evidence for aggregation. A red-shifted fluorescence spectrum peaking at gains in intensity as the naphthalene concentration is increased. The excitation spectrum of this new emission is well to the red of the normal naphthalene absorption spectrum, consistent with the UV spectrum. Formation of a fluorescent ground state dimer (or higher aggregate) is proposed to account for these observations.     

Correlation effects among thermal displacements of atoms in KBr

Neutron diffraction measurements have been performed on powder KBr at 7 and 298 K. An oscillatory diffuse scattering intensity is observed at 298 K. The oscillatory scheme of the diffuse scattering intensity is explained by the values of correlation effects which are almost the same as those in other ionic crystals. The value of the correlation effects as suggested by earlier studies using EXAFS measurement cannot explain the observed diffuse scattering intensity. Force constants among first, second and third nearest neighboring atoms are obtained from the correlation effects and used to estimate the phonon dispersion curves by computer simulation.     

Stress effects on the photoluminescence energies and binding energies of excitons in ultra-thin ZnTe/CdTe/ZnTe quantum wells

Using the variational method and the effective mass and parabolic band approximations, electron and heavy-hole ground-state energies and exciton and photoluminescence energies are calculated in ultra-thin quantum wells of CdTe/ZnTe heterostructures. The results indicate dependencies on the well width, the barrier height, and stress-related effects and occur because the wave functions of both free carriers and those bound in exciton form determine the system energy and are shaped by the geometry of the well. Critical system thicknesses were estimated for the point at which stress effects become negligible: a value of five monolayers was obtained based on the exciton binding energy, and a value of seven monolayers was obtained based on the free-carrier ground-state energy.     

Performance improvement in CdTe solar cells by modifying the CdS/CdTe interface with a Cd treatment

The performance of n-CdS/p-CdTe solar cells is often degraded under light soaking or thermal stress, even though the technology of CdTe solar cells is close to a commercial level. The Cu diffusion from a Cu back contact to a CdS window layer might degrade the cell's performance. To prevent the Cu diffusion, a very-thin intrinsic CdTe layer was introduced at the n-CdS/p-CdTe interface by depositing a very-thin Cd metal layer on the CdS film and converting the Cd metal into intrinsic CdTe during p-CdTe deposition at high temperature. By the Cd treatment on CdS surface, pinholes or voids were eliminated at the CdS/CdTe and the intermixing of Te and S at the interface was much suppressed. The depletion width was much increased and the intensity of LTPL peak was increased. The analysis suggested that an intrinsic CdTe interlayer was formed and the surface recombination rate was suppressed by the intrinsic interlayer. As a result, the short circuit current of the CdTe solar cell was significantly increased due the increased current gain in the blue wavelength region. The thermal stability of the CdTe solar cell was also greatly improved and the Cu diffusion was retarded by the intrinsic CdTe interlayer at the n-CdS/p-CdTe.     

Photoluminescence characterized thermal mismatch of PbTe/CdTe single quantum wells grown on GaAs substrates

This report describes photoluminescence (PL) properties of PbTe/CdTe single quantum wells grown on (1 0 0)-oriented GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Despite the differences in crystal structure and thermal expansion coefficient between PbTe and CdTe, an intense mid-infrared emission was observed even at higher temperatures than 300 K. Multiple peaks, however, were found in the PL spectra, and the analysis of the PL peak energy dependence on temperature revealed an important role of the thermal mismatch.     

Influence of modifier oxide on spectroscopic and thermoluminescence characteristics of Sm ion in antimony borate glass system

Sb₂O₃-B₂O₃:Sm³⁺ glasses mixed with three different modifier oxides viz., PbO, CaO and ZnO were prepared. Optical absorption, photoluminescence and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra of these glasses have been recorded at room temperature. From the measured intensities of various absorption bands of these glasses, the Judd-Ofelt parameters Ω₂, Ω₄ and Ω₆ have been evaluated. The Judd-Ofelt theory could successfully be applied to characterize the absorption and luminescence spectra of these glasses. From this theory, various radiative properties like transition probability A, branching ratio β_r, the radiative lifetime τ_r, and the emission cross-section σ^E for various emission levels of these glasses have been determined and reported. An attempt has also been made to throw some light on the relationship between the structural modifications and luminescence efficiencies of all the three glasses. The analysis of TL data indicates high non-radiative losses in ZnO mixed glasses.     

Effect of annealing on properties of electrochemically deposited CdTe thin films

Thin films of CdTe have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates from aqueous acidic bath using electrodeposition technique. The different preparative parameters, such as deposition time, bath temperature and pH of the bath have been optimized by photoelectrochemical (PEC) technique to get good quality photosensitive material. The deposited films are annealed at different temperature in presence of air. Annealing temperature is also optimized by PEC technique. The film annealed at 200 °C showed maximum photosensitivity. Different techniques have been used to characterize as deposited and also as annealed (at 200 °C) CdTe thin film. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the polycrystalline nature, and a significant increase in the XRD peak intensities is observed for the CdTe films after annealing. Optical absorption shows the presence of direct transition with band gap energy 1.64 eV and after annealing it decreases to 1.50 eV. Energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) study for the as-deposited and annealed films showed nearly stoichiometric compound formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that spherically shaped grains are more uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate for the CdTe film.     

Understanding the junction degradation mechanism in CdS/CdTe solar cells using a Cd-deficient CdTe layer

It is known that CdTe solar cells are often degraded under solar illumination. But the degradation mechanism is not fully proved because it does not appear consistently. The junction degradation in CdS/CdTe solar cells was investigated using a CdTe layer with Cd deficient composition, where Cd vacancy concentration is high. It was found that the Cu atoms easily filled the Cd vacancies in CdTe and transport to junction area from Cu back contact. PL measurement and spectral quantum efficiency measurement showed that the incorporation of Cu atoms in CdS forms a defect energy level at 1.55 eV below the conduction band in CdS. As a result, the junction built-in potential is decreased and light penetration into CdTe absorber is shielded. For reliable and stable CdTe cells, the formation of Cd vacancy in CdTe should be avoided by careful control of CdTe.