Photoluminescence properties of Eu-Doped ZnO grown by sputtering-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of Eu-doped ZnO (ZnO : Eu) grown by a sputtering-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique were investigated. In PL measurements at 30OK, the samples annealed at 600°C for 30min showed clear red-emission lines due to the intra-4/shell transition of 5Do → 7FJ (J = 2, 3) in Eu3+. In photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra, the PL were observed under the high-energy excitation above the band-gap energy of ZnO (indirect excitation) and the low-energy excitation resonant to the energy levels of 7F0-5D3 and 7F 0-5D2 transitions in Eu3+ (direct excitation). These results revealed that the energy transfer from ZnO host to Eu3+ was accompanied under indirect excitation in ZnO : Eu. © 2010 The Society of Materials Science, Japan.