Effect of the annealing environment on the optical properties of ZnO/GaAs grown by MOCVD

The optical properties of ZnO grown on (1 0 0) GaAs substrate using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Postgrowth annealing in nitrogen and oxygen was performed for different times and temperatures in order to incorporate As from the substrate into the ZnO thin films. The PL spectra of the samples annealed in different ambients reveal that the effect of As diffusion into the ZnO thin films is more pronounced when the annealing is performed in oxygen at 550 °C. The 11 K PL spectra show the appearance of a transition at ∼3.35 eV after annealing in oxygen at 550 °C for 1 h. A further increase in the annealing temperature leads to the disappearance of this line, while for annealing times longer than 2 h at 550 °C, it is no longer prominent. The increase in intensity of this new transition is also accompanied by the enhancement of radiative centers related to structural defects, such as the stacking fault-related transition at 3.31 eV and the Y-line. Temperature dependent PL illustrates the excitonic nature of the new transition at ∼3.35 eV, which is therefore assigned to (A 0, X) transition, where the acceptor is possibly the 2V Zn–As Zn complex, with an activation energy E A in the range of 160–240 meV. Furthermore, the enhancement of the radiative centers related to structural defects is regarded as evidence that As atoms tend to segregate in the vicinity of structural defects to relieve local strain. ► (A 0, X) and DAP transitions at 3.35 and 3.26 eV related to arsenic acceptor. ► Oxygen annealing ambient promotes arsenic acceptor into ZnO films. ► Increase in structural defect lines is related to arsenic incorporation. ► Annealing at optimal temperature of around 550 °C is necessary for arsenic incorporation.