Cathodoluminescence of cubic boron nitride - Moessbauer-type spectra

Optical properties of cubic, polycrystalline boron nitride (β-BN) have been studied by the cathodoluminescence (CL) method in the temperature range 80 to 300 K. Comparison of luminescent features of β-BN and C+ implanted diamond indicates that the general cubic centers (GC) of β-BN with zero phonon lines at 1.76 and 1.63, result from vacancy-type defects. The temperature dependence of the 1.76 eV zero phonon line broadening in β-BN and in C+ implanted diamond are quite identical. It was concluded that the spectral positions and widths of GC zero phonon lines could serve as a good detector of perfection of synthesized β-BN crystals