Photoluminescence of hexagonal boron nitride: effect of surface oxidation under UV-laser irradiation

We report on the UV laser induced fluorescence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) following nanosecond laser irradiation of the surface under vacuum and in different environments of nitrogen gas and ambient air. The observed fluorescence bands are tentatively ascribed to impurity and mono (VN), or mu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2008-04
Main Authors: Museur, Luc, Anglos, Demetrios, Petitet, Jean-Pierre, Michel, Jean Pierre, Kanaev, Andrei V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Boron
Boron nitride
Impurities
Ions
Laser induced fluorescence
Lasers
Nitrogen
Oxidation
Oxygen
Photoluminescence
Radiation effects
Stoichiometry
Surface defects
Ultraviolet lasers
Ultraviolet radiation
Vacancies
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Summary:We report on the UV laser induced fluorescence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) following nanosecond laser irradiation of the surface under vacuum and in different environments of nitrogen gas and ambient air. The observed fluorescence bands are tentatively ascribed to impurity and mono (VN), or multiple (m-VN with m = 2 or 3) nitrogen vacancies. A structured fluorescence band between 300 nm and 350 nm is assigned to impurity-band transition and its complex lineshape is attributed to phonon replicas. An additional band at 340 nm, assigned to VN vacancies on surface, is observed under vacuum and quenched by adsorbed molecular oxygen. UV-irradiation of h-BN under vacuum results in a broad asymmetric fluorescence at ~400 nm assigned to m-VN vacancies; further irradiation breaks more B-N bonds enriching the surface with elemental boron. However, no boron deposit appears under irradiation of samples in ambient atmosphere. This effect is explained by oxygen healing of radiation-induced surface defects. Formation of the oxide layer prevents B-N dissociation and preserves the bulk sample stoichiometry.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.0804.0764