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Luminescence properties of Yb-doped Ca-α-SiAlON phosphors with composition of Ca1−xYbxSi12−(m+n)Alm+nOnN16−n were investigated by using cathodoluminescence (CL). The ratio of Yb to Ca was kept constant while the host lattice was changed by replacing m+n(Si–N) bonds with m(Al–N) and n(Al–O) bonds. The luminescence of these phosphors consists of three peaks in the ultraviolet (UV), green (VIS), and infrared (IR) regions, which are attributed to the emissions from secondary phases, Yb2+ and Yb3+, respectively. The UV emission depends on the Si/Al ratio: the UV peak is centered at 310 nm for the Si-rich mix and at 360 nm for the Al-rich mix. We have found that Yb exists in the divalent state in α-SiAlON and in the trivalent state in the secondary phases.

A facile and effective route toward the synthesis of ZnS multiangular branched nanostructures with needle-shaped tips has been developed. An average width of the structurally and chemically uniform, single-crystalline, defect-free tips was found to be less than 10 nm. Cathodoluminescence from individual ZnS multiangular branched nanostructures was investigated at high spatial resolution on the nanometer scale. The size-dependent optical spectra exhibit sharp ultraviolet band gap emission and broad visible emission. Field-emission measurements show a relatively low turn-on field of ∼3.77 V/μm at a current density of 10 μA/cm2 and the highest field enhancement factor β of ∼2182 ever reported for 1D ZnS nanostructures. This was attributed to the specific sharp tips and high aspect ratios. These unique nanostructures are envisaged to be highly promising for novel optoelectronic and field-emitting devices.

We have studied the effect of the electron beam irradiation on ZnO and GaN by using cathodoluminescence (CL). The bandedge emissions of ZnO and GaN usually decrease during CL observation, but they can increase in certain cases, such as Zn-plane in ZnO. These variations depend on not only the specimens and the electron beam conditions but also the nature of the luminescence centers and the chemical nature of the material surface. This work suggests that the electron beam induces some modifications near the surface region.

Luminescence properties of SiAlON phosphors codoped with Ca and Yb were investigated by changing the host lattice composition. These modifications of the host lattice were obtained by replacing Si N bonds by Al N and Al O bonds. Their photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) properties were measured and compared with each other. PL allows observing the influence of the host lattice modifications by measuring wider areas. CL can excite all luminescent centers, in particular the UV luminescence centers, even if their amount is small. Thus, two additional peaks in the ultraviolet and infrared regions were observed in CL, which is not observed by PL. This work suggests that the combination of PL and CL gives more understanding about the luminescence of SiAlON phosphors, in particular the role of the secondary phases on their properties.

Ce3+-activated lanthanide silicon oxynitride (La5Si3O12N, La4SiO7N2, LaSiO2N, and La3Si8O4N11) phosphors were prepared by firing the mixture of La2O3, Si3N4, SiO2, and CeO2 at 1500–1600 °C under a 0.5 MPa nitrogen atmosphere. Diffuse reflection spectrum, photoluminescence spectra, and temperature-dependent luminescence of these phosphors are presented in this work. A blue emission of Ce3+ in all lanthanide silicon oxynitrides was observed under ultraviolet irradiation, which is strongest in La3Si8O4N11:Ce3+. The concentration quenching and thermal quenching of the samples were discussed.

A series of Eu(2+)- and Mn(2+)-codoped γ-AlON (Al1.7O2.1N0.3) phosphors was synthesized at 1800 °C under 0.5 MPa N2 by using the gas-pressure sintering method (GPS). Eu(2+) and Mn(2+) ions were proved to enter into γ-AlON host lattice by means of XRD, CL, and EDS measurements. Under 365 nm excitation, two emission peaks located at 472 and 517 nm, resulting from 4f(6)5d(1) → 4f(7) and (4)T1(4G) → (6)A1 electron transitions of Eu(2+) and Mn(2+), respectively, can be observed. Energy transfer from Eu(2+) to Mn(2+) was evidenced by directly observing appreciable overlap between the excitation spectrum of Mn(2+) and the emission spectrum of Eu(2+) as well as by the decreased decay time of Eu(2+) with increasing Mn(2+) concentration. The critical energy-transfer distance between Eu(2+) and Mn(2+) and the energy-transfer efficiency were also calculated. The mechanism of energy transfer was identified as a resonant type via a dipole-dipole mechanism. The external quantum efficiency was increased 7 times (from 7% for γ-AlON:Mn(2+) to 49% for γ-AlON:Mn(2+),Eu(2+) under 365 nm excitation), and color-tunable emissions from blue-green to green-yellow were also realized with the Eu(2+) → Mn(2+) energy transfer in γ-AlON.

International audience; Thin and transparent Mo-6 cluster films with significant optical properties were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass plates from the suspension of Cs2Mo6Br14 cluster precursors dispersed in methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) by an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. Two kinds of polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS); i.e., KF-96L-1.5CS and KF-96L-2CS corresponding to the kinetic viscosity of 1.5 and 2 centistokes, respectively, were selected to topcoat the Mo-6 cluster film after the EPD. The influence of the PDMS on the durability, chemical compatibility and light absorption property of Mo-6 cluster films were characterized by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy. The stabilized PDMS-coated Mo-6 cluster film could be stored for more than 6 months under ambient conditions.

The luminescence of semiconductor nanostructures is strongly dependent on their size, dimensions, morphology, composition, or defects, and their band emissions can be properly and selectively tailored through the rational manipulation of these parameters during material growth. Using spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, monochromatic contrast maps and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, an obvious red-shift of the near-band-edge emission of wurtzite ZnS nanobelts, resulting from a strip of stacking faults or a zinc-blende phase with tens of atomic layers in width, has been observed and its related mechanism has been discussed. This finding is not specific to the defect-dependent optical properties tailoring of ZnS nanostructures and represents a general validity for clarifying the mechanism of peak-shift (band-gap expansion or shrinking) of a wide range of semiconductor nanostructures with various defects. In addition, the general formation mechanism of the belt-like nanostructure was proposed based on precise microstructure analyses on a ZnS nanobelt with atomic terrace growth fronts.

Here, we report the origin of the yellow-band emission in epitaxial GaN nanowire arrays grown under carbon-free conditions. GaN nanowires directly grown on [0001]-oriented sapphire substrate exhibit an obvious and broad yellow-band in the visible range 400–800 nm, whereas the insertion of Al/Au layers in GaN–sapphire interface significantly depresses the visible emission, and only a sharp peak in the UV range (369 nm) can be observed. The persuasive differences in cathodoluminescence provide direct evidence for demonstrating that the origin of the yellow-band emission in GaN nanowire arrays arises from dislocation threading. The idea using buffering/barrier layers to isolate the dislocation threading in epitaxially grown GaN nanowires can be extended to the rational synthesis and structural defect controlling of a wide range of semiconductor films and nanostructures with superior crystal quality and excellent luminescence property.

Although generally ascribed to the presence of defects, an ultimate assignment of the different contributions to the emission spectrum in terms of surface states and deep levels in ZnO nanostructures is still lacking. In this work we unambiguously give first evidence that zinc vacancies at the (1010) nonpolar surfaces are responsible for the green luminescence of ZnO nanostructures. The result is obtained by performing an exhaustive comparison between spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and imaging and ab initio simulations. Our findings are crucial to control undesired recombinations in nanostructured devices.

Mn(2+) doped-AlN red phosphors were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence were utilized to characterize the prepared phosphor. Under UV light or electron beam excitation, the AlN:Mn(2+) phosphors exhibit a strong red emission centered at 600 nm, which is ascribed to the characteristic (4)T1((4)G)-(6)A1((6)S) transition of Mn(2+). Energy level diagrams were constructed to discuss the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence processes of the AlN:1% Mn(2+) phosphor. The oxygen-related defects in AlN have great influence on the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of the AlN:1% Mn(2+) phosphor. The dependence of brightness on accelerating voltage or electric current, the decay behavior of CL intensity under the electron bombardment, and the stability of CIE chromaticity coordinates were investigated in detail. The results indicate that the AlN:Mn(2+) phosphor exhibits a higher brightness, higher color purity, and lower saturation compared to the red Y2O3:Eu(3+) phosphor, which gives the AlN:Mn(2+) phosphor great potential as a red phosphor for full color FEDs.

The blue-emitting title phosphors are synthesized from mixtures of AlN, α-Si3N4, SrCO3, and Eu2O3 (1 MPa N2, 1800 °C, 2 h).

Luminescence degradation of hydride vapor-phase epitaxy-grown GaN wafers under electron-beam (e-beam) irradiation was studied. A drastic decrease in the band-edge emission is observed under e-beam irradiation. This degradation may be decomposed into two components: a strong and quick decrease in the first minute and a smaller and more gradual decrease. It is found that the vacuum condition also affects the luminescence of GaN since the degradation amplitude becomes smaller when the specimens are kept in ultrahigh vacuum. These results suggest that the adsorbed species at the surface may affect the luminescence properties of GaN.

The effect of hydrogenation on the intensity evolution of ZnO single crystal under electron beam irradiation was investigated by cathodoluminescence (CL). Without hydrogenation, the ultraviolet (UV) emission for O-face decreases exponentially and reaches a constant value with e-beam irradiation, while that for Zn-face once increases and then decreases. The hydrogenation significantly increases the UV emission for both faces. On the other hand, the amplitude of the decreasing component of the O-face becomes larger, while the increasing component is not affected. These results suggest that hydrogen only affects the decreasing component of the UV intensity evolution.

We have investigated the local luminescence properties of Eu-doped CaAlSiN3 by using low-energy electron beam (e-beam) techniques. The particles yield broad emission centered at 655 nm with a shoulder at higher wavelength under light excitation, and a broad band around 643 nm with a tail at 540 nm under e-beam excitation. Using cathodoluminescence (CL) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM), we have observed small and large particles, which, although with different compositions, exhibit Eu2+-related emissions at 645 and 635 nm, respectively. Local CL measurements reveal that the Eu2+ emission may actually consist of several bands. In addition to the red broad band, regularly spaced sharp peaks have been occasionally observed. These luminescence variations may originate from a variation in the composition inside CaAlSiN3.

One-dimensional GaN nanorods with corrugated morphology have been synthesized on graphite substrate without the assistance of any metal catalyst through a feasible thermal evaporation process. The morphologies and microstructures of GaN nanorods were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results from HRTEM analysis indicate that the GaN nanorods are well-crystallized and exhibit a preferential orientation along the [0001] direction with Ga(3+)-terminated (101̅1) and N(3-)-terminated (101̅1̅) as side facets, finally leading to the corrugated morphology surface. The stabilization of the electrostatic surface energy of {101̅1} polar surface in a wurtzite-type hexagonal structure plays a key role in the formation of GaN nanorods with corrugated morphology. Room-temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements show a near-band-edge emission (NBE) in the ultraviolet range and a broad deep level emission (DLE) in the visible range. The crystallography and the optical emissions of GaN nanorods are discussed.

Quaternary solid-solution nanowires made of GaP and ZnS have been synthesized through well-designed synthetic routines. The as-synthesized GaP-ZnS solid-solution nanowires exhibit decent crystallinity with the GaP phase as the host, while a large amount of twin structural defects are observed in ZnS-rich nanowires. Cathodoluminescence studies showed that GaP-rich solid-solution nanowires have a strong visible emission centered at 600 nm and the ZnS-rich solid-solution nanowires exhibited a weak emission peak in the UV range and a broad band in the range 400-600 nm. The formation mechanism, processes, and optical emissions of GaP-ZnS solid-solution nanowires were discussed in detail.

ZnO nanosheets with triangular morphology have been synthesized on an Au-coated silicon substrate through a facile thermal evaporation process. The morphologies and microstructures of the nanosheets were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM). These studies show that a nanosheet is commonly composed of two parts: a triangular ZnO sheet and an Au nanoparticle attached on its tip-end. Detailed crystallography analyses conclude that the formation of the highly crystalline nanostructures can be assigned to a combination of a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process that is believed to be responsible for its initial nucleation and subsequent crystallization along the growth direction, and a vapor–solid (VS) process that is responsible for its further radial growth. The spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra exhibit a sharp strong near-band-edge (NBE) emission in the ultraviolet range and a negligible green emission.

International audience; We present a study on erbium (Er)-doped silicon (Si)-rich silicon oxide thin films grown by the magnetron cosputtering of three confocal cathodes according to the deposition temperature and the annealing treatment. It is shown that, through a careful tuning of both deposition and annealing temperatures, it is possible to engineer the fraction of agglomerated Si that may play the role of sensitizer toward Er ions. To investigate the different emitting centers present within the films according to the fraction of agglomerated Si, a cathodoluminescence experiment was made. We observe in all samples contributions from point-defect centers due to some oxygen vacancies and generally known as silicon-oxygen deficient centers (SiODC), at around 450–500 nm. The behavior of such contributions suggests the possible occurrence of an energy transfer from the SiODCs toward Er3+ ions. Photoluminescence experiments were carried out to characterize the energy transfer from Si nanoclusters toward Er3+ ions with a nonresonant wavelength (476 nm) that is unable to excite SiODCs and then exclude any role of these centers in the energy transfer process for the PL experiments. Accordingly, it is shown that structural differences have some effects on the optical properties that lead to better performance for high-temperature deposited material. This aspect is illustrated by the Er-PL efficiency that is found higher for 500°C-deposited, when compared to that for RT-deposited sample. Finally, it is shown that the Er-PL efficiency is gradually increasing as a function of the fraction of agglomerated silicon.

Oriented assemblies of small crystals forming larger structures are common in nature and crucial for forthcoming technologies as they circumvent the difficulties of structural manipulation at microscopic scale. We have discovered two distinctive concentric assemblies of zinc oxide rods, wherein each rod has an intrinsically positive and a negative polar end induced by the noncentrosymmetric arrangement of Zn and O atoms. All the rods in a single assembly emanate out of a central core maintaining a single polar direction. Due to growth along the two polar surfaces with different atomic arrangements, these assemblies are distinct in their intrinsic properties and exhibit strong UV luminescence in the exterior of Zn-polar assemblies, unlike the O-polar assemblies. Although novel applications can be envisioned, these observations suggest that hierarchical organization with respect to internal asymmetry might be widespread in natural crystal assemblies.

High-quality, crystalline AlN whiskers with large yield have been synthesized through the direct nitridation of Al vapor at high temperature. The AlN whiskers exhibited a strong and uniform ultraviolet emission at approximately 352 nm, which is notably shorter compared with the wavelength of previously reported one-dimensional AlN nanostructures. Energy filtered transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses indicated that nitrogen deficiency and rather lower oxygen content in the AlN lattice might be responsible for the strong 352 nm ultraviolet emission.

We report on a pioneering fabrication of BN layers-sheathed CaS:Eu nanowires via a one-step and catalyst-free method. The CaS:Eu nanowires are sheathed over the entire length with thin BN layers, which effectively prevent the luminescence material decomposition. High-spatial resolution cathodoluminescence investigations on individual nanowires reveal a red light-emitting band and a spatial variation of luminescence from the nanowire surfaces to their cores. The attractive luminescence properties are expected to become valuable not only with respect to fundamental research but also for a design of novel optoelectronic nanodevices.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.

Vertically aligned Zn2SiO4-SiOx(x < 2) core–shell nanotube arrays consisting of Zn2SiO4-nanoparticle chains encapsulated into SiOx nanotubes and SiOx-coated Zn2SiO4 coaxial nanotubes were synthesized via one-step thermal annealing process using ZnO nanowire (ZNW) arrays as templates. The appearance of different nanotube morphologies was due to size-dependent thermal instability and specific melting of ZNWs. With an increase in ZNW diameter, the formation mechanism changed from decomposition of “etching” to Rayleigh instability and then to Kirkendall effect, consequently resulting in polycrystalline Zn2SiO4-SiOx coaxial nanotubes, single-crystalline Zn2SiO4-nanoparticle-chain-embedded SiOx nanotubes, and single-crystalline Zn2SiO4-SiOx coaxial nanotubes. The difference in spatially resolved optical properties related to a particular morphology was efficiently documented by means of cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy using a middle-ultraviolet emission at 310 nm from the Zn2SiO4 phase.

Spatially and spectrally resolved low-energy cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy was applied to the characterization of nanostructures. CL has the advantage of revealing not only the presence of luminescence centers but also their spatial distribution. The use of electrons as an excitation source allows a direct comparison with other electron-beam techniques. Thus, CL is a powerful method to correlate luminescence with the sample structure and to clarify the origin of the luminescence. However, caution is needed in the quantitative analysis of CL measurements. In this review, the advantages of cathodoluminescence for qualitative analysis and disadvantages for quantitative analysis are presented on the example of nanostructures.

We fabricated ellipsoid-shaped ZnGa(2)O(4) nanorods using a newly-designed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, different from the conventional methods. The optical properties of nanorods were studied using cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements. The nanorods displayed three distinct emissions centered at 360, 450 and 550 nm. The luminescence mechanism is thoroughly discussed and explained based on a detailed structural and compositional study with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS).

A serious obstacle for the development of full color field emission display (FED) devices is the lack of suitable blue luminescent materials with high luminance. Thus, the exploration of new blue-emitting phosphors is required. Rare-earth doped (oxy)nitride phosphors are considered as great candidates for phosphors in FEDs. Indeed, wavelength-tunable luminescence is obtained by doping with different rare-earth ions, varying the concentration of rare-earth and changing the host lattice composition. Thus, we have found that AlN codoped with Si and Eu exhibits a blue broadband emission.[1] In comparison with Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce3+, AlN:Si, Eu shows higher luminescence efficiency, higher color purity, lower saturation behavior and longer lifetime. Thus, AlN:Si, Eu is a promising candidate for blue phosphor in FEDs. However, the exact role of Si is not clarified. It is required to understand the impact of Si for the enhancement of blue emission of AlNEu phosphors.

Tailoring the structural and electronic properties of 3D nanostructures via bottom-up techniques would pave the way for novel low-cost applications. One of such possibilities is offered by ZnO branched nanostructures like tetrapods, that have recently attracted attention for nanodevice applications from nanoelectronics to drug delivery. The conventional picture is that ZnO arms are thermodynamically stable only in the wurtzite phase. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence of unpredicted extended zinc blend phases (50-60 nm long) embedded in the arms of ZnO wurtzite tetrapods. In particular, decisive evidence is obtained from the one-to-one correlation between high lateral resolution cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, monochromatic contrast maps, and atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy images of ZnO single TIPS. This observation is not specific to ZnO and can have a general validity for the understanding of the nucleation mechanisms in semiconducting 3D nanostructures for device applications.

The main goal of our study is to prepare and to understand the properties of cubic SiC nanowires (NWs) and to characterize its native silicon dioxide. The wires, with diameters ranging from 10 nm to 2 μm, have been prepared by a CVD process on Si (0 0 1) substrates, using CO as the carbon source and Ni as the catalyst. A structural and optical analysis, by means of TEM, micro-Raman and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy, has been performed. Two sets of samples have been studied, labelled A and B, which differ for growth process conditions. Set A showed two broad CL peaks. Set B showed a much weaker CL emission. This difference has been explained by means of TEM investigation and micro-Raman spectra: set A shows a thick amorphous silicon dioxide layer on the wire surface, whereas set B shows a thin or absent oxide layer. Consequently, the nature of the CL emission has to be ascribed mainly to oxide-related recombination.

Low-energy cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and spectroscopy technique was employed to study the impurity distribution in individual ZnO hexagonal nanotubes fabricated by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on the sapphire (0001) substrate. The CL spectra at 10 K show that acceptor and donor impurities are incorporated in the ZnO nanotubes. CL monochromatic images indicate that the concentration of donor is higher at the bottom part and the distribution of acceptors is more inhomogeneous at the surface of the nanotubes. The non-uniform defects and impurities distributions are explained by unstable growth conditions and contamination from the environment. These results indicate that the low-energy CL is a very powerful method to investigate the inhomogeneity of luminescence properties in the individual nanostructures.

The spatial distribution of indium composition in InGaN/GaN heterostructure is a critical topic for modulating the wavelength of light emitting diodes. In this letter, semi-polar InGaN/GaN heterostructure stripes were fabricated on patterned GaN/Sapphire substrates by epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO), and the spatial distribution of indium composition in the InGaN layer was characterized by using cathodoluminescence. It is found that the indium composition is mainly controlled by the diffusion behaviors of metal atoms (In and Ga) on the surface. The diffusivity of metal atoms decreases sharply as migrating to the region with a high density of dislocations and other defects, which influences the distribution of indium composition evidently. Our work is beneficial for the understanding of ELO process and the further development of InGaN/GaN heterostructure based devices.

Aluminum nitride (AlN) powders doped with various concentrations of Si were investigated to understand the effects of Si on the growth and luminescence of AlN. Certain Si-doping concentrations enhanced the particle growth of AlN and affected the UV emission bands at 280 and 350 nm. Cross-sectional cathodoluminescence images showed that SiNx coated AlN particles on the surface and formed grain boundaries. These grain boundaries may play a critical role in the solid-state reaction and crystal growth of AlN.

To evaluate the evolution of stacking faults (SFs) in 4H-SiC along the c-axis growth direction, techniques that can be used to determine the precise position of SFs and their fault types from cross-sectional nonpolar faces are urgently required. In this research, we have studied the feasibility of using cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and face molten KOH etching to obtain information on the SF density and SF types. Particular attention has been paid to the possibility of determining the stacking sequence of SFs using their CL signatures or the geometrical properties of their KOH etch figures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been employed to clarify the atomic arrangement of SFs beneath the KOH etch figures, and a model is proposed to explain the formation of linear etch patterns during KOH etching due to the existence of SFs.

Crystal damage induced in hexagonal SiC by cutting was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Raman scattering. Wiresawing with loose abrasive (WSLA) induces stacking faults (SFs), dispersive triangular crystal disordered areas, and dislocation half-loop bundles. Wiresawing with fixed abrasive (WSFA) induces SFs, crystal disordered layers, and dislocation half-loop bundles. Electric discharge machining (EDM) predominantly forms silicon, carbon, and 3C-SiC by 6H-SiC decomposition. The mechanisms inducing crystal damage by slicing were discussed on the basis of characterization results.

The relationship between the luminescence property and particle faces of the β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphors was investigated by performing the cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements on the tip and side faces of the rod-like phosphor particles. It was found a positional dependence of the CL intensity on the particle faces, that is, the side face possessed higher CL intensity than the tip face, probably due to uneven distribution of the Eu2+ sites in the β-SiAlON host particles: the Eu2+ ions more intensively concentrated at the side face of the particle, particularly at the central area of the side face, than at the tip face.

As a structural analogue of the carbon nanotube (CNT), the boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) has become one of the most intriguing non-carbon nanostructures. However, up to now the pre-existing restrictions/limitations of BNNT syntheses have made the progress in their research rather modest. This work presents a new route toward the synthesis of highly pure ultrafine BNNTs based on a modified boron oxide (BO) CVD method. A new effective precursor--a mixture of Li(2)O and B--has been proposed for the growth of thin, few-layer BNNTs in bulk amounts. The Li(2)O utilized as the precursor plays the crucial role for the present nanotube growth. The prepared BNNTs have average external diameters of sub-10 nm and lengths of up to tens of microm. Electron energy loss spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy demonstrate the ultimate phase purity of the ultrafine BNNTs. Property studies indicate that the ultrafine nanotubes are perfect electrical insulators exhibiting superb resistance to oxidation and strong UV emission. Moreover, their reduced diameters lead to a dramatically decreased population of defects within the tube walls and result in the observation of near-band-edge (NBE) emission at room temperature.

— Eu and Si co-doped AlN was reported to be an interesting blue phosphor for field-emission displays (FEDs). In this paper, SiC instead of Si3N4 was used as the Si source. Eu2+-doped AlN—SiC phosphors were prepared by firing the powder mixtures of AlN, SiC, and Eu2O3 at 2050°C for 2 hours under 1-MPa N2. Solid solutions between AlN and SiC were formed in a wide range, promoting the solution of Eu2+ in AlN. The phosphors showed intense blue emissions under electron-beam excitation, indicative of potential phosphors for FEDs.

Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation effects on ZnO single crystals have been investigated by using time-of-flight electron-stimulated desorption (TOF-ESD). The samples were irradiated by using a continuous 0.5 or 1.5 keV e-beam, while the TOF-ESD spectra were taken by using a pulsed 0.5 keV e-beam. For both the O-terminated and Zn-terminated surfaces, the major desorption is H+ desorption. The main trend of H+ desorption intensity and evolution as a function of irradiation time is similar for both faces. The H+ peak is much higher after 1.5 keV irradiation than after 0.5 keV irradiation. The intensity of the H+ peak decreases exponentially as a function of irradiation time and partially recovers after the irradiation is stopped. These observations suggest that the main contribution of the H+ desorption is hydrogen released from the dissociation of H-related defects and complexes in the bulk region of the ZnO by e-beam irradiation. This finding can be used to explain the reported ultraviolet degradation of ...

We report the influence of the native amorphous SiO(2) shell on the cathodoluminescence emission of 3C-SiC/SiO(2) core/shell nanowires. A shell-induced enhancement of the SiC near-band-edge emission is observed and studied as a function of the silicon dioxide thickness. Since the diameter of the investigated SiC cores rules out any direct bandgap optical transitions due to confinement effects, this enhancement is ascribed to a carrier diffusion from the shell to the core, promoted by the alignment of the SiO(2) and SiC bands in a type I quantum well. An accurate correlation between the optical emission and structural and SiO(2)-SiC interface properties is also reported.

Erbium-doped GaN with different doping concentrations were grown by ammonia-source molecular beam epitaxy. The intra-4f-shell transitions related green luminescence were observed by both photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements. It was found that concentration quenching of Er-related luminescence was observed in PL measurements while not in CL measurements. The different excitation and relaxation processes are suggested as the cause of the concentration quenching characteristics between PL and CL. The strong Er-related CL intensity in highly doped GaN demonstrates that high energy excitation is a promising approach to suppress the concentration quenching in Er-doped GaN.

Boron nitride (BN) microtubes were synthesized in a vertical induction furnace using Li(2)CO(3) and B reactants. Their structures and morphologies were investigated using x-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The microtubes have diameters of 1-3 microm, lengths of up to hundreds of micrometers, and well-structured ultrathin walls only approximately 50 nm thick. A mechanism combining the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) and template self-sacrificing processes is proposed to explain the formation of these novel one-dimensional microstructures, in which the Li(2)O-B(2)O(3) eutectic reaction plays an important role. Cathodoluminescence studies show that even at room temperature the thin-walled BN microtubes can possess an intense band-edge emission at approximately 216.5 nm, which is distinct compared with other BN nanostructures. The study suggests that the thin-walled BN microtubes should be promising for constructing compact deep UV devices and find potential applications in microreactors and microfluidic and drug delivery systems.

The effects of electron beam irradiation on the luminescence of ZnO single crystals were investigated by cathodoluminescence. We have found that the evolution of the intensity during the e-beam irradiation depends on the surface polarity. For O-face, the ultraviolet (UV) emission decreases exponentially and approaches an asymptotic value. For Zn-face, it first increases and then decreases. The decrease components are similar in both faces. If we halt the e-beam irradiation, the UV intensity recovers partially. These results suggest that the decrease in the UV evolution is related to metastable bulk defect reactions at the subsurface region while the increase is related to surface reaction such as electron-stimulated desorption.

To establish a reliable procedure for the characterization of luminescence from nanomaterials, the cathodoluminescence (CL) observation conditions, such as the packing density of particles and the electron beam energy for irradiation, were examined by using ZnO nanoparticles. The evolutions of the intensities and peak position with the accelerating voltage are strongly affected by the packing density of particles. For the low-density specimen, the band edge emission reaches a maximum at 4kV where the excitation of each nanoparticle becomes the most effective. On the other hand, the position of band edge emission does not shift for low-density specimen while it changes for high-density specimen. Such artifact may bring serious modifications to the CL data. This work suggests that the specimen preparation and the optimum excitation conditions are the keys for the reliable CL characterization of nanomaterials.

An Eu2+-activated AlN phosphor was synthesized by firing the powder mixture of AlN, α-Si3N4, and Eu2O3 at 2050°C for 4h under 1.0MPa N2. This nitride phosphor emits a strong blue color with the chromaticity coordinates of x=0.139 and y=0.106 at an accelerating voltage of 3kV. The cathodoluminescence properties of AlN:Eu2+ was evaluated by utilizing it in the Spindt-type field emission display panel. It shows that the nitride phosphor exhibits higher brightness, higher color purity, lower saturation, and longer lifetime than the currently used Y2SiO5:Ce3+, indicative of the suitability of the AlN:Eu2+ blue phosphor in field emission displays.