Electroluminescence of -CuBr thin films via vacuum evaporation depositon

• Published in: Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Applied physics, 2010-04, Vol.43 (16)
• Main Authors: Cowley, A, Lucas, F Olabanji, Gudimenko, E, Alam, M M, Danieluk, D, Bradley, a L, Mcnally, P J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-3727; 1361-6463
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/43/16/165101

γ-CuBr is a I-VII wide bandgap mixed ionic-electronic semiconducting material with light emitting properties suitable for novel UV/blue light applications. Its structural and physical properties allow for vacuum deposition on a variety of substrates and herein we report on the deposition of γ-CuBr on Si and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates via vacuum evaporation with controllable film thickness from 100 nm to 500 nm. Temperature dependent Photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of these γ-CuBr films on Si (100) reveals familiar Z f and I 1 excitonic features. A Thin Film Electroluminescent Device (TFELD) using a γ-CuBr active layer was fabricated and the room temperature Electroluminescence (EL) was obtained for γ-CuBr for the first time. CuBr features relating to known excitonic (Z f, 3.1 eV) emissions were observed as well as a number of previously unknown emissions at 3.81 eV, 3.02 eV, 2.9 eV, 2.75 eV, and 2.1 eV. We speculate on the origins of these peaks and attribute them to the presence of monovalent Cu+ generated during a.c. excitation.