Low-Temperature Cathodoluminescence of Nitrogen-Doped ZnO Films Deposited at Low-Temperature by Atomic Layer Deposition

ZnO and ZnO:N films grown by atomic layer deposition and post-growth annealed were studied by scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction.Lowtemperature cathodoluminescence spectra reveal donor-related emission centered at 3.35 eV and acceptor-related emission centered at 3.31 eV.The cathodoluminescence maps recorded from the films cross-section clearly show the acceptor and donor-related emission coming from separate regions.The intensity of acceptor-and donor-related emission after annealing at different temperatures and media was studied.A comparison of the cathodoluminescence images, grain size and dislocation density indicates that the acceptor-related emission is not related to grain boundaries.topics: zinc oxide, nitrogen doped zinc oxide