Cathodo- and photoluminescence increase in amorphous hafnium oxide under annealing in oxygen

Cathodo- and photoluminescence of amorphous nonstoichiometric films of hafnium oxide are studied with the aim to verify the hypothesis that oxygen vacancies are responsible for the luminescence. To produce oxygen vacancies, hafnium oxide was enriched in surplus metal during synthesis. To reduce the oxygen concentration, the film was annealed in oxygen. A qualitative control of the oxygen concentration was carried out by the refractive index. In the initial, almost stoichiometric films we observed a 2.7-eV band in cathodoluminescence. Annealing in oxygen results in a considerable increase in its intensity, as well as in the appearance of new bands at 1.87, 2.14, 3.40, and 3.6 eV. The observed emission bands are supposed to be due to single oxygen vacancies and polyvacancies in hafnium oxide. The luminescence increase under annealing in an oxygen atmosphere may be a result of the emission quenching effect