Excitonic properties of ZnO nanocrystalline films prepared by oxidation of zinc-implanted silica

Zinc oxide nanocrystalline films with (002) preferred orientation and intense ultravoilet (UV) emission were prepared by oxidation of zinc-implanted silica at 700 deg. C for 2 h in oxygen ambient. A TEM micrograph showed that ZnO nanocrystalline films with a thickness of about 90 nm were formed on the surface of the Zn-implanted silica substrate. The quality and excitonic properties of the ZnO nanocrystalline films were studied through absorption spectra at room temperature and photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the temperature range from 79 to 300 K. At room temperature, a strong free excitonic emission peak at 377 nm with a very weak deep-level emission can be observed. The intensity ratio of the UV near-band-edge emission to the deep-level emission can reach up to 40. The temperature-dependent PL indicated that the UV near-band-edge emission in the temperature range 79-187 K can be attributed to a free exciton (FE), a bound exciton and the one longitudinal-optical phonon replica of FE lines. The presence of a strong emission of FE lines at 79 K suggested that high-purity ZnO nanocrystalline films have been obtained