Photoluminescence properties of ZnO films grown on InP by thermally oxidizing metallic Zn films

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnO films grown on (001) InP substrates by thermal oxidization of metallic Zn films, in which oxygen vacancies and interstitial Zn ions are compensated by P ions diffusing from (001) InP substrates, are investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that P ions have diffused into the Zn films and chemically combined with Zn ions to form Zn₃P₂. Intense free exciton emission dominates the PL spectra of ZnO films with very weak deep-level emission. Low-temperature PL spectra at 79 K are dominated by neutral-donor bound exciton emission at 3.299 eV (I₄) with a linewidth of 17.3 meV and neutral-acceptor bound exciton emission at 3.264 eV. The free exciton emission increases with increasing temperature and eventually dominates the emission spectrum for temperature higher than 170 K. Furthermore, the visible emission around 2.3 eV correlated with oxygen deficiencies and interstitial Zn defects was quenched to a remarkable degree by P diffusing from InP substrates.