Determination of the minimum island size for full exciton localization due to thickness fluctuations in Zn1−xCdxSe quantum wells

Fluctuations of the thickness of quantum wells (QWs) of few monolayers are one of the causes of exciton localization. Here, we present the results of the determination of the minimum lateral dimensions of islands produced by thickness fluctuations in Zn_1−xCd_xSe QWs, which cause full exciton localization. We have calculated the localization energy of excitons in the frame of the factorized-envelope approximation. We found that the excitons are well localized in the islands of the QW when their lateral dimensions are larger than ∼15 times the exciton Bohr radius.     

Effects of Zn/Mg Ratio on the Microstructure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of (Zn1?xMgx)2SiO4 Ceramics

Ceramics of nominal composition (Zn_1−x Mg _x )₂SiO₄ were synthesized by the solid-state method. The phase evolution, microstructure, and microwave dielectric characteristics of the (Zn_1−x Mg _x )₂SiO₄ (0 < x < 1.0) ceramics were investigated systematically. The sintering range was widened and the densification temperatures of the present ceramics were much lower compared with the Zn₂SiO₄ and Mg₂SiO₄ end-members. Coexistence of Mg₂SiO₄ and Zn₂SiO₄ phases was observed in the (Zn_1−x Mg _x )₂SiO₄ ceramics with x = 0.4 and 0.6. The MgSiO₃ secondary phase was also observed due to Mg substitution. Changes in grain shapes from equiaxed to rectangular were observed in sintered samples as x varied from 0.7 to 1.0. The microwave characteristics of (Zn_1−x Mg _x )₂SiO₄ ceramics were significantly improved by the suppression of the MgSiO₃ phase, where an enhanced quality factor (Qf) value was obtained. The best microwave characteristics were achieved in the (Zn_1−x Mg _x )₂SiO₄ ceramic with Zn/Mg ratio of 1.5 sintered at 1250°C: ε _r = 6.2, Qf = 148,740 GHz, τ _f = −54.2 ppm/°C.     

Differential optical gain in a GaInN/AlGaN quantum dot

Electronic and optical properties are obtained with the increase in indium alloy content (x) in a Ga_1-xIn_xN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum dot. The barrier height with the different In alloy contents is applied to acquire the confinement potentials. The results are obtained taking into consideration geometrical confinement effect. The optical absorption coefficient with the photon energy is observed in a Ga_1-xIn_xN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum dot. The optical output with the injection current density and the threshold optical pump intensity for various In alloy contents are studied. The differential gain as functions of indium alloy content, charge density and the dot radii in the Ga_1-xIn_xN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum dot are investigated. The exciton binding energy is calculated in order to obtain the exciton density, the optical gain and the threshold current density in the Ga_1-xIn_xN/Al_0.2In_0.8N quantum dot. The results show that the red shift energy with an increase in In alloy content is found and the differential gain increases with the charge carrier density.     

Characterization of UV photodetectors with MgxZn1−xO thin films

In this study the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) based on Mg_xZn_1−xO thin films were fabricated. The Mg_xZn_1−xO thin films were grown on glass substrates by sol-gel method. The results show that the optical absorption has a blue shift and higher transmittance with increasing Mg dopant. The optical band gap were modified by 3.28-3.52 eV, which corresponded to x = 0 and x = 0.16. For a 10 V applied bias, the dark currents of the Mg_xZn_1−xO MSM-PDs were 637 nA (x = 0) to 0.185 nA (x = 0.16) and showed good Schottky contacts. This UV-visible rejection ratio of the Mg_xZn_1−xO UV PDs at x = 0, 0.16, 0.21 and 0.33 were 18.82, 35.36, 40.91 and 42.92, respectively.     

Luminescence properties of MgxZn1-xSe prepared by Mg diffusion

The photoluminescence of ZnSe doped with the isoelectronic substituent Mg with a simple diffusion procedure has been studied. It was found that Mg easily enters substitutionally on Zn-site to form Mg_xZn_1-xSe. The diffused samples therefore show a graded bandgap due to a composition gradient in the surface region. In contrast to ZnSe the photoluminescence spectrum of Mg_xZn_1-xSe is dominated by a near bandgap emission at all temperatures between 1.5 and 300 K. The bandgap shift compared with “pure” ZnSe is estimated from photoluminescence excitation spectra. The luminous efficiency of Mg_xZn_1-xSe makes the material promising for future applications as light emitting diodes with a well defined narrow emission band at a wavelength determined by the Mg content x.     

Radiative recombination in Zn1-x MnxTe/Zn0.59Mg0.41Te quantum well structures: Exciton emission and intracenter luminescence

The luminescence spectra controlled by excitons and intracenter 3d emission of Mn²⁺ ions are studied for a series of Zn_1-x Mn_xTe/Zn_0.59Mg_0.41 Te quantum well (QW) structures that differ in manganese content and QW width. It is shown that the relative intensities of exciton emission of the QWs and barriers and the dependences of the intensities on the optical excitation level are controlled mainly by the manganese content in the QWs that affect the efficiency of excitons transfer of to the 3d shell of the Mn²⁺ ions. The effects of QW width and manganese content on the decay kinetics of the intracenter luminescence of the Mn²⁺ ions are studied.     

AlxGa1-xAs量子线中的浅杂质态的研究

利用变分方法研究柱型量子线中浅杂质态的极化效应。给出AlxGa1-xAs柱型量子线中浅杂质态的结合能随组份x,杂质位置的变化关系。结果表明电子-声子相互作用明显降低了杂质态的结合能,且结合能随组份x的增加而增加。     

Dielectric confinement on exciton binding energy and nonlinear optical properties in a strained Zn1-xinMgx（in）Se/Zn1-x（out）Mgx（out）Se quantum well

正The band offsets for a Zn_(1-Xin)Mg_(Xin)Se/Zn_(1-Xout)Mg_(1-Xout)Se quantum well heterostructure are determined using the model solid theory.The heavy hole exciton binding energies are investigated with various Mg alloy contents.The effect of mismatch between the dielectric constants between the well and the barrier is taken into account.The dependence of the excitonic transition energies on the geometrical confinement and the Mg alloy is discussed.Non-linear optical properties are determined using the compact density matrix approach.The linear,third order non-linear optical absorption coefficient values and the refractive index changes of the exciton are calculated for different concentrations of magnesium.The results show that the occurred blue shifts of the resonant peak due to the Mg incorporation give the information about the variation of two energy levels in the quantum well width.     

Quantum Confinement and Carrier Localization Effects in ZnO/Mg<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O Wells Synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition

The optical properties of ZnO/Mg _x Zn_1−x O (x = 0.17) quantum wells (QWs) grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition are presented. A blueshift in the low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the QWs illustrates quantum confinement effects as a function of ZnO well widths in the range from 3 nm to 10 nm. Enhanced luminescence properties are observed with increasing quantum confinement. PL data indicate weak polarization effects associated with the heterojunctions. Temperature-dependent PL measurements indicate carrier/exciton localization with activation energy of approximately 4−5 meV, which are attributed to potential fluctuations at the well-barrier interface.     

Composition-tuned optical properties of CdSexS1-x and CdSexS1-x/ZnS QDs

The different compositions of the ternary alloyed CdSexS1-x quantum dots (QDs) and CdSexS1-x/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (CSQDs) have been synthesized by the chemical routes. The radii of these QDs were determined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The optical properties of these QDs were investigated by the absorption and fluorescent measurement. It was found that the absorption and fluorescent emissions were tuned by the component ratio, and the Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the fluorescent spectra also depended on the composition. Compared with the CdSexS1-x QDs, the CdSexS1-x/ZnS CSQDs exhibit the fluorescence enhancement due to the surface passivation by shell coating. The composition-tuned optical properties may allow them to be used as fluorescent markers in biological imaging and to fabricate multicolor light emitting diode (LED).     

ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx semiconductor alloys as competent materials for opto-electronic and solar cell applications:a comparative analysis

ZnO_1-xTe_x ternary alloys have great potential to work as a photovoltaic (PV) absorber in solar cells. ZnO_1-xS_x is also a ZnO based alloy that have uses in solar cells. In this paper we report the comparative study of various parameters of ZnO_1-xTe_x and ZnO_1-xS_x for selecting it to be a competent material for solar cell applications. The parameters are mainly being calculated using the well-known VCA (virtual crystal approximation) and VBAC (Valence Band Anti-Crossing) model. It was certainly being analysed that the incorporation of Te atoms produces a high band gap lower than S atoms in the host ZnO material. The spin-orbit splitting energy value of ZnO_1-xTe_x was found to be higher than that of ZnO_1-xS_x. Beside this, the strain effects are also higher in ZnO_1-xTe_x than ZnO_1-xS_x. The remarkable notifying result which the paper is reporting is that at a higher percentage of Te atoms in ZnO_1-xTe_x, the spin-orbit splitting energy value rises above the band gap value, which signifies a very less internal carrier recombination that decreases the leakage current and increases the efficiency of the solar cell. Moreover, it also covers a wide wavelength range compared to ZnO_1-xS_x.     

Structural and optical properties of hexagonal MgxZn1−xO thin films

High-quality epitaxial magnesium zinc oxide (Mg_xZn_1-xO) alloy thin films were grown on sapphire (α-Al₂O₃ (0001)) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The structural and optical properties of these hexagonal films were determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), absorption, and photoluminescence measurements. XRD and TEM data reveal that magnesium zinc oxide alloy films, grown by domain matching epitaxy, exhibited the following relationships: MgZnO[0001] ∥ α-Al₂O₃ [0001] and MgZnO[01 0] ∥ α-Al₂O₃ [2 0]. RBS data demonstrate that a maximum magnesium content of x=0.34 can be obtained in hexagonal Zn_xMg_1-xO thin films. This value is significantly higher than the thermodynamic limitation of x=0.04. The absorption spectra of magnesium zinc oxide alloy films obtained at room temperature demonstrate significant excitonic behavior. The exciton binding energies have been extracted from the absorption data. Values of the exciton bandgap as a function of magnesium content were determined by fitting the bandgap energies using polynomial fitting. The Zn_xMg_1−xO alloy thin films demonstrate bright room-temperature luminescence and significant excitonic behavior. A shift in the excitonic emission peak as a function of magnesium content was observed.     

The Locus of Free Charge‐Carrier Generation in Solution‐Cast Zn1–xMgxO/Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) Bilayers for Photovoltaic Applications

The photoconductivity of solution‐cast Zn_1–xMg_xO (x=0‐0.4) and poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films, and Zn_1‐xMg_xO/P3HT bilayers is investigated using Time‐Resolved Microwave Conductivity (TRMC) with the aim of determining the locus of free charge carrier generation in the bilayer system. The photoconductivity of Zn_1–xMg_xO thin films, under illumination with 300 nm laser pulses, is limited by the formation of stable excitons and by scattering of the carriers at grain boundaries. The electron mobility in Zn_1–xMg_xO films decreases exponentially with Mg concentration, up to x=0.4. In agreement with previous work, free carriers are observed in the P3HT film under illumination with 500 nm pulses in the absence of an acceptor. Under illumination with 500 nm pulses, where only the polymer absorbs, the TRMC signal for the Zn_1–xMg_xO/P3HT bilayers for x≥0.2 is the same as that of pure P3HT, indicating that free carrier generation in these bilayers occurs predominately by exciton dissociation in the polymer bulk, and not at the interface between the polymer and the solution‐cast oxide. At lower Mg concentrations (x<0.2) the TRMC signal increases with decreasing x following the dependence of the electron mobility in the oxide but its light intensity dependence remains consistent with free carrier generation in the polymer bulk. To explain these results and previously published photovoltaic device data (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2007 , 17, 264) we propose that free carrier generation in the bilayers predominantly occurs in the bulk of P3HT, and is followed by electron injection to the oxide to yield photocurrent in photovoltaic cells. The dependence of the TRMC signal of the bilayers on Mg concentration is explained in terms of the yield for free carrier generation in the polymer and the relative contributions of electrons in the oxide and holes in the polymer.     

溅射压力对制备a-GaAs1-xNx 薄膜光学常数的影响

采用反应磁控溅射法在室温条件下制备了a-GaAs_1-xN_x 薄膜。实验测定了薄膜厚度、氮含量、载流子浓度和光学透过率及并研究了其随溅射压的变化。系统研究了溅射压对所制备薄膜的光学带隙、折射率和色散参数的影响。所制备的薄膜为直接带隙材料,利用Cauchy和Wemple模型能够很好地拟合所制备薄膜的折射率色散曲线。     

Structural and optical properties of Zn<Subscript>1−x</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>x</Subscript>O thin films synthesized with metal organic chemical vapor deposition

We present the structural and optical properties of Zn_1?xMg_xO thin films studied using x-ray diffraction (XRD), extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The Zn_1?xMg_xO films on sapphire [0001] substrates were fabricated with metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The XRD measurements showed that the Zn_1?xMg_xO films (x≤0.05) had a wurtzite structure without any MgO phase and were epitaxially grown along the c-axis of the Al₂O₃ substrate. The lattice constant of the Zn_0.95Mg_0.05O film shrank by 0.023 Å, compared with that of ZnO crystals. From the EXAFS measurements on the Zn_1?xMg_xO films at Zn K-edge, we found a substantial amount of distortion in the bond length of Zn-Zn pairs with a small amount of Mg substitution on the Zn site. The PL measurements showed a gradual increment of the main exciton transitions from 3.36 eV (x=0.0) to 3.57 eV (x=0.05) at 10 K. We also observed a strong deep-level emission near 2.3 eV from the specimen with x=0.05.     

GGA U方法研究应变对纤锌矿ZnO能带结构的影响

基于第一性原理密度泛函理论和GGA U方法,以Zn1-xMgxO衬底的应变为例,计算了应变ZnO体材料的能带结构。同时研究了应力对ZnO材料的禁带宽度、价带分裂能以及电子和空穴有效质量的影响。研究结果表明,Mg组分不大于0.3时,ZnO/Znl-xMgxO材料禁带宽度随应力增大而增大,该结论与实验研究结果相符合。沿[00k] 和[k00]晶向,导带电子有效质量随应力增加而稍有增大,“场致分裂带”空穴有效质量随应力增大明显减小,而“轻空穴带”和“重空穴带”空穴有效质量几乎不随应力改变而变化。     

Preparation and characteristics of the wide gap semiconductor Mg0.18Zn0.82O thin film by L-MBE

The high purity ZnO ceramic target and the (MgO)_0.1(ZnO)_0.9 target were fabricated. The wurtzite-phase ZnO thin film and ternary Mg_xZn_1−xO thin film were grown on sapphire (0001) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE) from the sintered ceramic targets separately. The films' transmittance spectra at room temperature for the ZnO film and the Mg_xZn_1−xO film were measured and compared while their room temperature photoluminescence spectra were done. The band-gap modulation is realized from 3.31 eV for the ZnO film to 3.64 eV for the Mg_xZn_1−xO alloy film. The Mg content x in the Mg_xZn_1−xO alloy film was determined to be 0.18.     

Effects of Mg doping content and annealing temperature on the structural properties of Zn1-xMgxO thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

The doping content of Mg plays an important role in the crystalline structure and morphology properties of Zn1-xMgxO thin films. Here, using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method, we prepared Zn1-xMgxO thin films on single crystalline Si(100) substrates with a series of x values. By means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), the crystalline structure and morphology of Zn1-xMgxO thin films with different x values are investigated. The crystalline structure of Zn1-xMgxO thin film is single phase with x<0.3, while there is phase separation phenomenon with x>0.3, and hexagonal and cubic structures will coexist in Zn1-xMgxO thin films with higher x values. Especially with lower x values, a shoulder peak of 35.1° appearing in the XRD pattern indicates a double-crystalline structure of Zn1-xMgxO thin film. The crystalline quality has been improved and the inner stress has been released, after the Zn1-xMgxO thin films were annealed at 600 °C in vacuum condition.     

Excitonic spectrum of the ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells

Excitonic spectrum of the wurtzite ZnO/Zn_{1 ? x} Mg _x O quantum wells with a width on the order of or larger than the Bohr radius of the exciton has been studied; the quantum wells have been grown by the method of molecular beam epitaxy (with plasma-assisted activation of oxygen) on substrates of sapphire (0001). Low-temperature (25 K) spectra of photoluminescence excitation (PLE) have been experimentally measured, making it possible to resolve the peaks of exciton absorption in the quantum well. The spectrum of excitons in the quantum well is theoretically determined as a result of numerical solution of the Schrödinger equation by the variational method. The value of elastic stresses in the structure (used in calculations) has been determined from theoretical simulation of measured spectra of optical reflection. A comparison of experimental data with the results of calculations makes it possible to relate the observed features in the PLE spectra to excitons, including the lower level of dimensional quantization for electrons and two first levels of holes for the A and B valence bands of the wurtzite crystal. The values of the electron and hole masses in ZnO are refined, and the value of the built-in electric field introduced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations is estimated.     

Epitaxial growth and properties of Mg<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1-<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O films produced by pulsed laser deposition

The Mg _x Zn_1-x O thin films with a Mg content corresponding to x = 0–0.45 are grown by pulsed laser deposition on ablation of ceramic targets. The conditions for epitaxial growth of the films on the single-crystal Al₂O₃ (00.1) substrates are established. The record limit of solubility of Mg in hexagonal ZnO, x = 35 is attained. In this case, the lattice mismatch for the parameter a of the ZnO and Mg_0.35Zn_0.65O films does not exceed 1%, whereas the band gaps of the films differ by 0.78 eV. The surface roughness of the films corresponds to 0.8–1.5 nm in the range of x = 0–0.27.