Correlation between photoluminescence and oxygen vacancies in In₂O₃, SnO₂and ZnO metal oxide nanostructures

Abstract

In2O3, SnO2 and ZnO nanostructure have been synthesized by thermal evaporation method and their photoluminescence have been investigated to explore the light emission mechanism. All of the three as-grown metallic oxide nanostructures have a strong blue or green photoluminescence at room temperature. However the blue or green light emission disappears after the as-grown materials are oxidized in air at high temperature, and then reappears again after the oxidized products are deoxidized in forming gas of argon and H2 at high temperature. The common feature is referred to that the blue or green emission originates from the oxygen vacancies.