Luminescent silicon nanocrystal dots fabricated by SiCl4/H2 RF plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Luminescent nanocrystalline Si dots were fabricated directly on thermally grown SiO₂ at 120°C by conventional RF plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using tetrachlorosilane, SiCl₄ and H₂. As-deposited Si dot exhibits photoluminescence (PL) in the visible region, consisting of two broad bands corresponding to photon energies of 1.38 and 1.48 eV. Storage in air enhances PL and shifts the PL peak energy to higher wavelengths for dots of diameter less than 10 nm. Fourier transform attenuated total reflection absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) study reveals that the spontaneous oxidation proceeds until saturation after 70 h at dot sizes of 3–5 nm. The relationship between PL intensity, blueshift of PL peak energy, and surface termination species during oxidation indicates that these changes are attributed to the increased density of radiative centers at the Si nanocrystal dot/SiO₂ interface and enhancement of the quantum confinement effect.     

Optical excitation and emission processes of Si-QD/SiO2 multilayer films with different SiO2 layer thicknesses

Si-rich oxide/SiO₂ multilayer films with different SiO₂ layer thicknesses have been deposited by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique, and crystallized Si quantum dot (Si-QD)/SiO₂ multilayer films are obtained after annealing at 1100 ^°C. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the multilayer films increases significantly with increasing SiO₂ layer thickness, and the PL peak shifts from 1.25 eV to 1.34 eV. The PL excitation spectra indicate that the maximal PL excitation intensity is located at 4.1 eV, and an excitation–transfer mechanism exists in the excitation processes. The PL decay time for a certain wavelength is a constant when the SiO₂ thickness is larger than 2 nm, and a slow PL decay process is obtained when the SiO₂ layer is 1 nm. In addition, the PL peak shifts toward high energy with decreasing temperature only when the SiO₂ layer is thick enough. Detailed analyses show that the mechanism of PL changes from the quantum confinement effect to interface defects with decreasing SiO₂ layer thickness.     

氧化硅层中的锗纳米晶体团簇量子点

采用氧化和析出的方法在氧化硅中凝聚生成锗纳米晶体量子点结构. 其形成的锗晶体团簇没有突出的棱角和支晶结构，锗晶体团簇的轮廓较圆混，故可以用球形量子点模型来模拟实际的锗晶体团簇. 对比了在长时间退火氧化条件下和在短时间退火用激光照射氧化条件下所生成的锗纳米晶体结构的PL光谱和对应的锗纳米晶体团簇的尺寸分布. 短时间退火氧化条件下生成的锗纳米晶体较小(3.28—3.96nm)，长时间退火用激光照射氧化条件下所生成的锗纳米晶体较大(3.72—4.98nm)；其分布结构显示某些尺寸的锗纳米晶体团簇较稳定，适当的氧化条件可以得到尺寸分布范围较窄的锗纳米晶体团簇. 用量子点受限模型计算了锗纳米晶体团簇的能隙结构，用Monte Carlo方法模拟了PL光谱和对应的锗纳米晶体团簇的尺寸分布，分别与实验结果符合较好. 关键词： 锗晶体团簇 纳米晶体 量子点 激光照射     

Photoluminescence and optical characterization of CdS nanoparticles prepared by solid-state method at low temperature

The photoluminescence (PL) and optical properties of CdS nanoparticles prepared by the solid-state method at low temperature have been discussed. The effects of NaCl and anionic surfactant SDBS (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate) on the luminescent properties of CdS nanophosphors prepared using this method, without the inert gas or the H₂S environment, were studied separately. The synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). UV–VIS absorption and PL spectra were also studied. XRD studies confirmed the single-phase formation of CdS nanoparticles. TEM micrograph revealed the formation of nearly spherical nanoparticles with a diameter of 2.5 nm. The PL emission for the CdS shows the main peak at 560 nm with a shoulder at 624 nm, with an increase in the PL intensity after the addition of SDBS. The effect of Mn doping on PL intensity has also been investigated. The PL spectra show that the emission intensity decreases as the dopant concentration increases.     

氧化硅稳定的氧化锡量子点薄膜的制备及其光学性能

 用溶胶-凝胶-水热过程制备了氧化硅稳定的氧化锡量子点,然后将其分散到氧化硅溶液中,用旋转涂膜的方法制备光学性能良好的氧化硅稳定的氧化锡量子点薄膜。X射线衍射和高分辨透射电镜表征显示氧化锡量子点具有良好的四方金红石晶型,平均粒径约4.0 nm。室温光致发光显示这种氧化硅稳定的氧化锡量子点薄膜在356 nm和388 nm处分别有很强的激子发光和缺陷态发光。根据透射谱拟合得到了氧化锡量子点薄膜的光学禁带宽度,其值约为3.96 eＶ。     

Growth and characterization of pine-needle-shaped GaN nanorods by sputtering and ammoniating process

Pine-needle-shaped GaN nanorods have been successfully synthesized on Si(111) substrates by ammoniating Ga₂O₃/Nb films at 950 ^°C in a quartz tube. The products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field-emission transmission electron microscope (FETEM). The results show that the pine-needle-shaped nanorods have a pure hexagonal GaN wurtzite with a diameter ranging from 100 to 200 nm and a length up to several microns. The photoluminescence spectra (PL) measured at room temperature only exhibit a strong emission peak at 368 nm. Finally, the growth mechanism of GaN nanorods is also briefly explored.     

Highly Luminescent Material Based on Alq3:Ag Nanoparticles

Tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃) is an organic semiconductor molecule, widely used as an electron transport layer, light emitting layer in organic light-emitting diodes and a host for fluorescent and phosphorescent dyes. In this work thin films of pure and silver (Ag), cupper (Cu), terbium (Tb) doped Alq₃ nanoparticles were synthesized using the physical vapor condensation method. They were fabricated on glass substrates and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscope (AFM), UV-visible absorption spectra and studied for their photoluminescence (PL) properties. SEM and AFM results show spherical nanoparticles with size around 70–80 nm. These nanoparticles have almost equal sizes and a homogeneous size distribution. The maximum absorption of Alq₃ nanoparticles is observed at 300 nm, while the surface plasmon resonant band of Ag doped sample appears at 450 nm. The PL emission spectra of Tb, Cu and Ag doped Alq₃ nanoparticles show a single broad band at around 515 nm, which is similar to that of the pure one, but with enhanced PL intensity. The sample doped with Ag at a concentration ratio of Alq₃:Ag?=?1:0.8 is found to have the highest PL intensity, which is around 2 times stronger than that of the pure one. This enhancement could be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag ions that might have increased the absorption and then the quantum yield. These remarkable result suggest that Alq₃ nanoparticles incorporated with Ag ions might be quite useful for future nano-optoelectronic devices.     

Photoluminescence of bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) zinc (Znq2) and magnesium (Mgq2)

Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, PL quantum efficiency, and PL lifetime have been investigated on bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) zinc (Znq₂) and magnesium (Mgq₂) in solutions and powder. Znq₂ and Mgq₂ have the lowest-energy absorption band at 376 and 396 nm in acetonitrile solution, respectively, and emission band with peak at 555 and 480 nm. The PL quantum efficiency is 0.03 and 0.45 for Znq₂ and Mgq₂ in the solution, respectively, while 0.45 and 0.36 in powder. Unlike the case of powders, two PL lifetimes are obtained in solutions. The longer lifetime is attributed to molecule having interaction with its neighboring molecule, while the shorter one to the isolated single molecule.     

Evaluating the Quantum Confinement Effect of Isolated ZnO Nanorod Single-Quantum-Well Structures Using Near-Field Ultraviolet Photoluminescence Spectroscopy

Using low-temperature near-field spectroscopy, we obtained spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence (PL) images of individual ZnO nanorod single-quantum-well structures (SQWs) with a spatial resolution of 20 nm. We observed the dependence of the quantum confinement effect of the PL peak on the well width (L _aw), from which the linewidths of near-field PL spectra of ZnO nanorod SQWs (L _aw = 2.5 and 3.75 nm) were determined to be as narrow as 3 meV. However, near-field PL spectra of individual SQWs with L _aw = 5.0 nm exhibited two PL peaks, presumably due to strains or defects in the ZnMgO in the nanorod SQWs. Since the exciton in a quantum structure is an ideal two-level system with long coherence times, our results provide criteria for designing nanophotonic devices.     

Photoluminescence of CaGa<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Pr Polycrystals

The photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectra of CaGa₂S₄ polycrystals doped with praseodymium are studied in the regions of the activator absorption and the fundamental absorption of the host. It is found that the PL excitation spectrum consists of two regions: broadband absorption in the range of 200-380 nm corresponding to the fundamental absorption of the host and the narrow-band absorption of the dopant in the range of 430–515 nm. The luminescence spectra are different for different excitation wave-lengths, which occurs because Pr³⁺ ions substitute divalent cations occupying different crystallographic positions in the host crystal lattice.     

Photoluminescence and photoreflectance studies on δ-Doped In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum wells

Experimental and theoretical studies on δ-doped In_0.15Ga_0.85As/GaAs quantum wells are reported. Photoreflectance (PR) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra are measured and compared with results of band structure and PL line shape calculations. The dominating structure seen in the PL spectra is related to the δ-doping well. Its line shape is well described by k_∥-non-conserving radiative transitions.     

Photoluminescence properties of thin nitrogen- and phosphorus-doped ZnO films fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

The production of n- and p-type high-quality film structures is a foreground task in tackling the problem of growing the light-emitting p-n junctions based on zinc oxide. The ZnO:N and ZnO:P thin-film samples are produced from ceramic targets using the pulsed laser deposition. Zn₃N₂, MgO, and Zn₃P₂ are introduced in the ZnO ceramic targets for the fabrication of the p-type ZnO films. Gases O₂ and N₂O are used as buffer gases. The thermal annealing of the ZnO films is employed. The resistance and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the ZnO films are measured prior to and after annealing. The dependence of the ZnO PL peak amplitude and position prior to and after annealing on the level of doping with nitrogen and phosphorus is established. The PL characteristics of the films are studied at cw optical excitation using a He-Cd laser with a radiation wavelength of 325 nm. The PL spectra in the interval 300–700 nm are recorded by an HR4000 Ocean Optics spectrometer in the temperature range 10–400 K. The effect of the conditions for the film deposition on the PL spectra is analyzed. The effect of the N- and P-doping level of the ZnO films on the PL intensity of the films and the position of the PL bands in the UV region is investigated. The short-wavelength (250–400 nm) transmission spectra of the ZnO:P films are measured. The effect of the P-doping level on the band gap of the ZnO films is studied.     

Influence of stoichiometry on the luminescent properties of InAs quantum dots grown on a heterostructure

We report photoluminescence (PL) spectra of InP/In_xGa_1-xAs/InAs/InP dot-in-a-well structures grown by MOVPE, with different compositions of the ternary layer. Measurements with atomic force microscopy showed that the largest quantum dot (QD) height is obtained when the InAs QDs are grown on the In_xGa_1-xAs layer with a mismatch of 1000 ppm, and the height decreases as the mismatch departs from this value. PL spectra of the QDs showed an asymmetric band, which involves transitions between dot energy levels and can be deconvoluted into two peaks. The highest energy PL peak of this band was observed for the sample with the QDs grown on top of the lattice-matched In_xGa_1-xAs layer and it shifted to lower energies for strained samples as the degree of mismatch increased. Theoretical calculations of the energy levels of the entire structure were used to interpret the obtained PL spectra and determine the possible detection tunability range.     

Elaboration and characterization of organic–inorganic quantum wells impregnated on porous anodic alumina nanostructures

An organic–inorganic quantum well embedded on porous anodic alumina was synthesized and studied by MEB, AFM, optical absorption and photoluminescence. The morphology determined by the MEB and the AFM, shows that the size of the pores is about 10 nm for alumina evaporated on glass substrate and about 35 nm for alumina template prepared in sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). The optical properties are characterized from absorption and photoluminescence spectra measured at room and low temperature. The measured spectral characteristics demonstrate the influence of the pore size on the emission of the organic–inorganic quantum well ((C₁₂H₂₅NH₃)₂PbI₄). An obvious blueshifted photoluminescence (PL) of (C₁₂H₂₅NH₃)₂PbI₄ in nanometer-sized pores was observed. It results in a better quantum confinement.     

Strain and optical transitions in InAs quantum dots on (001) GaAs

To investigate the strain characteristics of InAs quantum dots grown on (001) GaAs by solid source molecular beam epitaxy we have compared calculated transition energies with those obtained from photoluminescence measurements. Atomic force microscopy shows the typical lateral size of the quantum dots as 20–22 nm with a height of 10–12 nm, and photoluminescence spectra show strong emission at 1.26 μ m when the sample is capped with a GaAs layer. The luminescence peak wavelength is red-shifted to 1.33 μ m when the dots are capped by an In_0.4Ga_0.6As layer. Excluding the strain it is shown that the theoretical expectation of the ground-state optical transition energy is only 0.566 eV (2.19 μ m), whereas a model with three-dimensionally-distributed strain results in a transition energy of 0.989 eV (1.25 μ m). It has thus been concluded that the InAs quantum dot is spatially strained. The InGaAs capping layer reduces the effective barrier height so that the transition energy becomes red-shifted.     

Radiative carrier recombination dependent on temperature and well width of InGaN/GaN single quantum well

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra and time-resolved PL are measured from around 10 to 300 K for the InGaN/GaN single quantum wells (SQWs) with well widths of 1.5, 2.5, 4 and 5 nm. For the SQWs with the well widths of 1.5 and 2.5 nm, the peak position of PL exhibits an S-shaped shift with increasing temperature. The radiative recombination time τ_RAD begins to increase at the temperature for the position to change from the red-shift to the blue-shift. The steep increase of τ_RAD is observed beyond the temperature from the blue-shift to the red-shift. For the SQWs with the well widths of 4 and 5 nm, the peak position of PL exhibits a monotonic red-shift. τ_RAD decreases at first and then increases with temperature. It is about 100-times longer in the low temperature region and about 10-times longer at room temperature as compared with those of the SQWs with narrower widths.     

Unusual magnetic behaviors and electrical properties of Nd-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles calcined at different temperatures

In the present work, we have investigated the effect of deposition time on the morphological, structural, and photoluminescence (PL) properties of β-Ga₂O₃ NWs grown by CVD technique. The diameter and length of the as-grown NWs varied for the deposition time of 1–4 h, from 50 to 100 nm and 5–15 μm, respectively. The crystalline quality of the NWs improved with increasing the deposition time. The detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) measurements revealed that the as-grown β-Ga₂O₃ NWs were single crystalline. Furthermore, we have studied the variation of PL spectra of the NWs with deposition time and provided an energy band diagram to give a plausible explanation of the origin of different emissions in the PL spectra. The PL spectra showed a broad strong UV-blue emission band and a weak red emission for 1 h deposited sample. We suggested that the UV and red emission from β-Ga₂O₃ NWs are related to oxygen vacancies and impurities such as nitrogen, respectively. It was observed that the intensity of UV emission decreased with deposition time and this reduction was attributed primarily to the reduction of oxygen vacancies in the NWs.     

Fabrication,morphology and optical properties of GaN nanorods by ammoniating Ga2O3/Nb films

Wurtzite GaN nanorods have been successfully synthesized on Si(111) substrates through ammoniating Ga₂O₃/Nb films under flowing ammonia atmosphere at 950 ^°C in a quartz tube. The nanorods have been confirmed as hexagonal wurtzite GaN by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field-emission transmission electron microscope (FETEM) reveal that the nanorods are straight and uniform, with a diameter of ranging from 100 to 200 nm and lengths up to several microns. The photoluminescence spectra (PL) measured at room temperature only exhibit a strong emission peak at 368.5 nm. Finally, the growth mechanism of GaN nanorods is also briefly discussed.     

Photoluminescence scanning on InAs/InGaAs quantum dot structures

The photoluminescence spectra of InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded into four types of In_xGa_1−xAs/GaAs (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25) multi quantum well MBE structures have been investigated at 300 K in dependence on the QD position on the wafer. PL mapping was performed with 325 nm HeCd laser (35 mW) focused down to 200 μm (110 W/cm²) as the excitation source. The structures with x = 0.15 In/Ga composition in the In_xGa_1−xAs capping layer exhibited the maximum photoluminescence intensity. Strong inhomogeneity of the PL intensity is observed by mapping samples with the In/Ga composition of x ≥ 0.20-0.25. The reduction of the PL intensity is accompanied by a gradual “blue” shift of the luminescence maximum at 300 K as follows from the quantum dot PL mapping. The mechanism of this effect has been analyzed. PL peak shifts versus capping layer composition are discussed as well.     

Photoluminescence and Raman spectra of SnO<Subscript>x</Subscript> nanostructures doped with Sm ions

The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering of SnO_x nanoparticles deposited from vapor phase have been studied. The PL spectra are characterized by a two-band structure. The high-energy band in the range from 300 to 350 nm is due to the exciton pair annihilation and may characterize the band gap of SnO_x nanocrystals as a function of their diameter. In the red spectral region (from 600 to 700 nm), a luminescence band due to defects in nanocrystals manifests itself. The existence of defects in SnO_x nanostructures is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Doping of SnO_x nanoparticles with rare earth (samarium) atoms leads to the appearance of strong luminescence lines in the red region of the PL spectrum.