360-nm Photoluminescence from Silicon Oxide Films Embedded with Silicon Nanocrystals

Si-rich silicon oxide films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering onto composite Si/SiO2 targets. After annealed at different temperature, the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals were obtained. The photoluminescenee（PL） from the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals was observed at room temperature. The strong peak is at 360 nm, its position is independent of the annealing temperature. The origin of the 360-nm PL in the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanoerystals was discussed.

Optical Pr operties of GaNAs and GaAsSb Semiconductors

Under short pulse laser excitation, it has been observed, for the first time, a new high-energy photoluminescence emission from GaNx As1- x/GaAs SQWs. This new emission has totally different optical properties compared with the localized exciton transition in GaNx As1-x, and is attributed to the recombination of delocalized excitons in QWs. At the same time, a competition process between localized and delocalized exciton emissions in GaNx As1-x/GaAs quantum wells is observed in the temperaturedependent PL spectra under the short pulse excitation. This competition process for the first time, reveals the physical origin of the temperature-induced S-shaped PL peak shift, which was often reported in the disordered alloy semiconductor system under continuous-wave excitation and puzzled people for a long time. We have also investigated a set of GaNx As1- x samples with small nitrogen composition( x ＜ 1% )by PL, and time-resolved PL. After the PL dependence on temperature and excitation power and PL dynamics were measured, the new PL peak was identified as an intrinsic transition of alloy, rather than N-related bound states. This is the first observation in PL, showing that alloy state exists in GaNx As1- x materials even when N composition is smaller than 0.1%. Finally by selective excitation,both type-Ⅰ and type-Ⅱ transitions were observed simultaneously in GaAs1-xSbx/GaAs SQWs for the first time.

Photoluminescence of nanocrystalline SiC films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering

Amorphous Sic films are deposited on Si (111) substrates by rf magnetron sputtering and then annealed at 1200 degreesC for different times by a dc self-heating method in a vacuum annealing system. The crystallization of the amorphous Sic is determined by Raman scattering at room temperature and X-ray diffraction. The experimental result indicates that the Sic nanocrystals have formed in the films. The topography of the as-annealed films is characterized by atomic force microscopy. Measurements of photoluminescence of the as-annealed films show blue or violet light emission from the nanocrystalline Sic films and photoluminescence peak shifts to short wavelength side as the annealing time decreases.

Photoluminescence study on coarsening of self-assembled InAlAs quantum dots on GaAs (001)

Red-emission at similar to 640 nm from self-assembled In0.55Al0.45As/Al0.5Ga0.5As quantum dots grown on GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been demonstrated. We obtained a double-peak structure of photoluminescence (PL) spectra from quantum dots. An atomic force micrograph (AFM) image for uncapped sample also shows a bimodal distribution of dot sizes. From the temperature and excitation intensity dependence of PL spectra, we found that the double-peak structure of PL spectra from quantum dots was strongly correlated to the two predominant quantum dot families. Taking into account quantum-size effect on the peak energy, we propose that the high (low) energy peak results from a smaller (larger) dot family, and this result is identical with the statistical distribution of dot lateral size from the AFM image.

The two- to three-dimensional growth transition of InAs/GaAs epitaxy layer studied by reflectance difference spectroscopy

In this work, we have adopted reflectance difference spectroscopy to study the evolution of InAs layer grown at different temperatures in GaAs matrix. Associated with the two- to three-dimensional growth transition of InAs layer, the transition energies and the in-plane optical anisotropy of InAs wetting layer exhibit abrupt changes. This provides a new way to decide the critical thickness h(c) for the growth transition. The obtained h(c)s are compared with those determined by atomic force microscope measurement, and discrepancy is found at high temperatures. The origin of the difference is clarified and the variations in hc with temperature are further discussed. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3494043]

Structural and photoluminescent properties of ZnO films deposited by radio frequency reactive sputtering

Zinc oxide films with c-axis preferred orientation were deposited on silicon (100) substrates by radio frequency (RF) reactive sputtering. The properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and fluorescent-spectrophotometer. The effect of sputtering power and substrate temperature on the structural and photoluminescent (PL) properties of the ZnO films was investigated. The results indicated that when the sputtering power is 100 W and the substrate temperature is 300-400 degrees C, it is suitable for the growth of high c-axis orientation and small strain ZnO films. A violet peak at about 380 nm and a blue band at about 430 nm were observed in the room temperature photoluminescence spectra, and the origin of blue emission was investigated.

Comparative study on the photoluminescent properties of siliceous MCM-41 with silica particles and xerogels

The samples of as-synthesized siliceous MCM-41, extracted MCM-41, amorphous silica particles and silica xerogels were heat treated from room temperature to 1000degreesC. Their photoluminescence (PL) spectra at room temperature excited by 254nm and 365nm ultraviolet light (UV) were investigated and compared. Excited by 254nm UV the MCM-41 samples do not display PL but amorphous silica particles and silica xerogels show PL, which changes with the heat treatment conditions for the samples. However, when excited by 365nm UV the PL spectra for the MCM-41 and the amorphous samples are similar. The carbon impurity and E' center mechanisms can be ruled out as the origin of PL in siliceous MCM-41 under UV excitation. The PL of MCM-41 series samples probably originates from oxygen-related defect center like dropSi-O-. according to the present work.

Luminescence properties of CdSiO3 : Mn2+ phosphor

A novel long-lasting phosphor CdSiO3:Mn2+ is reported in this paper. The Mn2+-doped CdSiO3 phosphor emits orange light with CIE chromaticity coordinates x = 0.5814 and y = 0.4139 under 254 nm UV light excitation. In the emission spectrum of 1% Mn2+-doped CdSiO3 phosphor, there is a broad emission band centered at 575 nm which can be attributed to the,pin-forbidden transition of the d-orbital electron associated with the Mn2+ ion. The phosphorescence can be seen by the naked eyes in the dark clearly even after the 254 nm UV irradiation have been removed for about 1 h. The mechanism of the origin of the long-lasting phosphorescence was discussed using the thermoluminescence curves.

Origin and Pathway of Equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific Identified by a Simulated Passive Tracer and Its Adjoint

The origin and pathway of the thermostad water in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the equatorial 13 degrees C Water, are investigated using a simulated passive tracer and its adjoint, based on circulation estimates of a global general circulation model. Results demonstrate that the source region of the 13 degrees C Water lies well outside the tropics. In the South Pacific, some 13 degrees C Water is formed northeast of New Zealand, confirming an earlier hypothesis on the water's origin. The South Pacific origin of the 13 degrees C Water is also related to the formation of the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water (ESTMW) and the Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW). The portion of the ESTMW and SAMW that eventually enters the density range of the 13 degrees C Water (25.8 < sigma(theta) < 26.6 kg m(-3)) does so largely by mixing. Water formed in the subtropics enters the equatorial region predominantly through the western boundary, while its interior transport is relatively small. The fresher North Pacific ESTMW and Central Mode Water (CMW) are also important sources of the 13 degrees C Water. The ratio of the southern versus the northern origins of the water mass is about 2 to 1 and tends to increase with time elapsed from its origin. Of the total volume of initially tracer-tagged water in the eastern equatorial Pacific, approximately 47.5% originates from depths above sigma(theta) = 25.8 kg m(-3) and 34.6% from depths below sigma(theta) = 26.6 kg m(-3), indicative of a dramatic impact of mixing on the route of subtropical water to becoming the 13 degrees C Water. Still only a small portion of the water formed in the subtropics reaches the equatorial region, because most of the water is trapped and recirculates in the subtropical gyre.