Reversible quenching of luminescence in ZnO films by electric field action

Abstract

We report the effect of the external electric field on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnO films grown by a pulsed laser deposition method. The PL quenching of bound excitons under the electric field was attributed to a decrease in the capture cross section of the radiative centers. In addition, the change in the surface/grain boundaries charge induced a degradation of the 3.33 eV emission line over the whole sample, which remained even after voltage removal. Besides the PL degradation, this emission at 3.33 eV demonstrates the change in the thermal quenching process, where the activation energy of exciton detachment corresponds to its binding energy. All behaviors were restored to the initial state by application of the voltage with opposite polarity. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)