Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) from plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (PP-HMDSO) thin films deposited on silicon wafers has been investigated as a function of both the applied RF power and the monomer flow rate. Films were deposited in a low pressure–low temperature remote plasma ignited in a 13.56 MHz hollow cathode discharge reactor, using pure HMDSO as a monomer and Ar as a feed gas. The substrate temperature during the deposition was as low as 40 °C and the total pressure was about 0.03 mbar. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) has been used as in situ tool for monitoring the different chemical species present in the plasma during deposition processes. The deposited PP-HMDSO films showed a strong, broad ‘green/yellow’ PL band. The RF power and the flow rate of the HMDSO monomer are found to have a significant impact on the PL intensity of the deposited film. The changes in the chemical bonding of the film as a function of deposition parameters have been investigated by using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis and are related to PL and OES results. The ‘green/yellow’ PL band is ascribed to chemical groups and bonds of silicon, hydrogen and/or oxygen constituting the films, in particular, SiH, SiO bonds and silanol Si–O–H groups.

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The free-exciton photoluminescence ͑PL͒ and reflection spectra of metal-organic vapor-phase-epitaxy grown ZnSe/GaAs epilayers with a thickness greater than that of the strain relaxation thickness were studied experimentally and theoretically for temperatures in the range Tϭ10-120 K. Calculations were performed in the framework of absorbing and reflecting dead layer models, using single and two-oscillator models, both including and neglecting spatial dispersion. The results rule out the explanation that the fine structure in the freeexciton PL spectra derives from thermal strain splitting and polariton effects, if this structure is not accompanied by a corresponding structure in reflection. It was shown that this structure in the PL spectrum originates mainly from light interference caused by the presence of a dead layer in the near-surface region, with the thickness of the dead layer depending on the excitation intensity. A correlation between the measured and inherent free-exciton spectra was established.

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Lasing and optical properties of ZnMgSSe/ZnSe-, ZnMgSSe/ZnSSe/ZnSe-, and ZnMgSSe/ZnMgSSe/ZnSe-based single- and multiple-quantum-well heterostructures grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were studied, and the characteristics were found to depend on the excitation intensity Iexc, temperature, and well width. Laser action under transverse optical pumping was achieved only for well widths Lz⩾4 nm and optical confinement factors Γ>0.04. In separate confinement heterostructures, lasing with the lowest threshold (Ithr=10–30 kW/cm2 at T=78 K) was achieved and device characteristics were studied up to T=577 K.