Enhanced luminescence in Eu-doped ZnO nanocrystalline films

Abstract

We found an enhancement of Eu3+ emissions in Eu-doped ZnO nanocrystalline films fabricated by microemulsion method. The Eu3+ emission intensities were increased by reducing annealing temperatures from 633 K to 533 K. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that the size reduction enhances the energy transfer from ZnO nanoparticles to Eu3+ ions. Also, the shift of the charge-transfer band into the low-energy side of the absorption edge is found to be crucial, which seems to expedite the energy transfer from O atoms to Eu3+ ions. These findings will be useful for the material design of Eu-doped ZnO phosphors.