Optical properties of organic-inorganic hybrid films prepared by the two-step growth process

Thin films of microcrystalline (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂PbBr₄ have been prepared by the two-step growth process as follows: (1) precipitation of nanometer-sized PbBr₂ particles on substrates by vapor deposition and then (2) growth of (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂PbBr₄ films by exposing PbBr₂ particles to C₈H₁₇NH₃Br vapor. Atomic force microscope observations reveal that the substrate is fully covered with nanometer-sized rodlike precipitates. X-ray diffraction studies suggest that (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂PbBr₄ films are found to be microcrystalline form, single phase and highly oriented with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂PbBr₄ films show a clear exciton absorption and free-exciton emission even at room temperature. At low temperatures below 40 K, the emission band separates into three bands at 3.07 (A-band), 3.14 (B-band) and 3.20 (C-band) eV, respectively. Both A- and C-bands correspond to the free-exciton emission with large binding energies. On the contrary, time-resolved PL spectra indicate that the B-band is attributed to phosphorescence formed by the intersystem crossing.