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ZnO layers grown on n--Si(100), n+-Si(100), and n--Si(111) substrates by pulsed-laser deposition were found to give electroluminescence. Light emission was observed in the form of discrete spots for currents over 1 mA with a white appearance to the naked eye. The intensity of these spots showed an erratic behavior over time, appearing and disappearing at random, while showing an associated random telegraph noise in the current signal. Regardless the substrate used, the electroluminescence spectra had a main broadband emission centered at about 600 nm and a relatively small peak at around 380 nm which corresponds to the energy of ZnO near band edge emission. Furthermore, the devices exhibited rectifying characteristics, whose current blocking direction depended on the substrate orientation. Optimization of ZnO conductivity and performing sample growth in N2 ambient were found to be critical to enhance the emission intensity. Rutherford backscattering characterization revealed the existence of an intermixed region at the interface between ZnO and Si. To study the electronic properties at the interface, frequency dependent capacitance measurements were carried out. The junction capacitance became frequency dependent at the bias voltages at which light emission occurs due to the relatively slow trapping and generation processes at deep centers. These centers are believed to play an important role in the mechanism of light emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details of the fabrication and characterization of hybrid green light emitting diodes, composed of n-ZnO/(InGaN/GaN) multi-quantum-wells/p-GaN on AlN/sapphire, are reported. Scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscopy, high resolution x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence were used to study the hybrid device. The effects of solvents, annealing, and etching on n-ZnO are discussed. Successful hybridization of ZnO and (In)GaN into a green light emitting diode was realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide thin films were grown on c-sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Pump power dependence of surface emission spectra, acquired using a quadrupled 266 nm laser, revealed room temperature stimulated emission (threshold of 900 kW/cm2). Time dependent spectral analysis plus gain measurements of single-shot, side-emission spectra pumped with a nitrogen laser revealed random lasing indicative of the presence of self-forming laser cavities. It is suggested that random lasing in an epitaxial system rather than a three-dimensional configuration of disordered scattering elements was due to waveguiding in the film. Waveguiding causes light to be amplified within randomly formed closed-loops acting as lasing cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) comprised of n-ZnO/(InGaN/GaN) multi-quantum-wells/p-GaN were grown on semi-insulating AlN/sapphire using pulsed laser deposition for the n-ZnO and metal organic chemical vapor deposition for the other layers. X-ray diffraction revealed that high crystallographic quality was preserved after the n-ZnO growth. LEDs showed a turn-on voltage of 2.5 V and a room temperature electroluminescence (EL) centered at 510 nm. A blueshift and narrowing of the EL peak with increasing current was attributed to bandgap renormalization. The results indicate that hybrid LED structures could hold the prospect for the development of green LEDs with superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued development of GaN-based light emitting diodes is being hampered by constraints imposed by current non-native substrates. ZnO is a promising alternative substrate but it decomposes under the conditions used in conventional GaN metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). In this work, GaN was grown on ZnO/c-Al2O3 using low temperature/pressure MOVPE with N2 as a carrier and dimethylhydrazine as a N source. Characterization confirmed the epitaxial growth of GaN. The GaN was lifted-off the c-Al2O3 by chemically etching away the ZnO underlayer. This approach opens up the way for bonding of the GaN onto a support of choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n-ZnO/p-GaN:Mg heterojunction light emitting diode (LED) mesas were fabricated on c-Al2O3 substrates using pulsed laser deposition for the ZnO and metal organic chemical vapor deposition for the GaN:Mg. High crystal quality and good surface morphology were confirmed by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Room temperature (RT) photoluminescence (PL) showed an intense main peak at 375 nm and a negligibly low green emission indicative of a near band edge excitonic emission from a ZnO layer with low dislocation/defect density. The LEDs showed I-V characteristics confirming a rectifying diode behavior and a RT electroluminescence (EL) peaked at about 375 nm. A good correlation between the wavelength maxima for the EL and PL suggests that recombination occurs in the ZnO layer and that it may be excitonic in origin. This also indicates that there is significant hole injection from the GaN:Mg into the ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]