published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

　Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap (3.4eV at 300K) II-VI semiconductor with an exciton binding energy up to 60meV and is promising in the realization of excitonic or polaritonic lasing effect. Photoluminescence is widely used in studying the band gap and defect levels of ZnO. However, understanding in defects of ZnO is still far from satisfaction and remains controversial. Different authors suggest different explanations and mechanisms. 　In the present study we investigate in the photoluminescence spectra of four kinds of ZnO single crystal, namely as-grown (not implanted) Zn-face polished, Zn-implanted, O-implanted and He-implanted. The samples are annealed both in air and argon gas at a temperature of 350, 650, 750, 900 and 1200oC. The results show that O-implanted sample is weaker in excitonic emission and has an annealing effect tendency not consistent with that of Zn-implanted and He-implanted. Ion implantation would introduce defects in favor of yellow luminescence and the defects would anneal out gradually as the annealing temperature is rising. / published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation reports on the development of a nonlinear surface spectroscopy and the observation of nonlinear optical phenomena using sputtered zinc oxide waveguides. The first is known as Surface Coherent Raman Spectroscopy, or SCRS, and is capable of monolayer sensitivity. The second, discovered during the development of SCRS, is optical limiting and a previously unobserved form of optical switching based on an absorptive nonlinear coupling mechanism. Overviews of the theories of waveguiding, linear coupling, and SCRS are given. Experiments showing that the spectrum of a monolayer coverage of molecules on the surface of a metal oxide waveguide can be obtained using SCRS are reported. For this purpose ZnO waveguides were fabricated using rf magnetron sputtering; the details of which are presented. The results of the characterization of these films, using an optical loss technique, Rutherford backscattering, and X-ray diffraction, are also presented. Experiments are described and data are presented to show the existence of optical limiting and optical switching phenomena in ZnO waveguides. The experimental dependence of these phenomena on input pulse energy, wavelength, temporal pulse width, and type of distributed coupling mechanism is described. Existing nonlinear distributed coupler theory is extended to include the effect of an absorptive nonlinearity and the results of this theory are used to explain some of the characteristic features of the experimental results. A value of n₂ ≅ 2 x 10⁻¹⁶ m²/W for the nonlinear coefficient of sputtered ZnO films is obtained.

Graduation date: 1994

published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Lei, Dangyuan = 表面等離子交叉耦合協助氧化鋅發射的理論和實驗研究 / 雷黨願. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-85). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Lei, Dangyuan = Biao mian deng li zi jiao cha ou he xie zhu yang hua xin fa she de li lun he shi yan yan jiu / Lei Dangyuan. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Motivations --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Thesis outline --- p.3 / Chapter 2 --- Background and Proposition --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- Surface plasmon mediated emission from semiconductor --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- General mechanism --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Formulation of SP coupling --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Derivation of dispersion relation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Plasmonic density of states (DOS) --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Field distribution in dielectric/metal/dielectric System --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- Determination of Purcell factor (Fp) --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Emission enhancement from metal-capped ZnO --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Proposal for making high efficiency top-emitting LED --- p.22 / Chapter 3 --- Experimental Setup and Measurement System --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Sample preparation --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Radio frequency magnetron sputtering --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Spin-coating --- p.27 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Rapid thermal annealing --- p.29 / Chapter 3.2 --- Optical characterizations --- p.29 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Transmittance measurement --- p.29 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Photoluminescence (PL) measurement --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- EDX for composition measurement --- p.32 / Chapter 4 --- Theoretical Simulations and Experimental Results --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Tunable surface plasmon resonance by using metal alloys --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Dielectric constants calculation --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Dispersion relation of alloy/Si02 --- p.41 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Plasmonic density of states and Purcell factor of alloy/semiconductor --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1.3.1 --- Air/AlxAg1-x/ZnO system --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1.3.2 --- Air/AlxAul-x/ZnTe --- p.46 / Chapter 4.1.3.3 --- Air/ AgxAul-x/CdSe system --- p.48 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Experimental results of AlxAgl-x/ZnO --- p.52 / Chapter 4.1.5 --- Discussion and mini-conclusion --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2 --- Enhanced forward emission from metal-insulator-metal/ZnO by coupled surface plasmon --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Plasmon modes in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Transmittance simulation of MIM and MIMIM --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Transmittance measurement of MIM --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Transmittance and photoluminescence of MIM/ZnO. --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Discussion and mini-conclusion --- p.78 / Chapter 5 --- Conclusions --- p.79 / Chapter 6 --- References --- p.81

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band-gap semiconductor that is of interest for application in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) because of similarity of its properties to TiO2. Unlike TiO2, ZnO can readily be grown in a wide variety of morphologies, using inexpensive, simple, and low temperature methods. Recent research on ZnO-based DSSCs focuses on modifying the ZnO layer morphology in order to maximize surface area, and enhance the electron collection by providing fast electron transport. It is expected that the improvement in cell performance by morphology modification is due to higher dye loading, increased electron lifetime and fast electron transport. However, ZnO properties may be affected by various synthesis methods. It is difficult to make a conclusion whether the change of performance are attributed to change of morphology or a change in the defect types and/ or defect concentrations. In this study, the influence of ZnO nanoparticle properties on cell performance has been investigated. Commercial ZnO nanoparticles with different sizes and optical properties were utilized. It was found that there is a complex relationship between native defects, dye loading, charge transport and photovoltaic performance. In particular, the presence of non-radiative defects was found to be detrimental to photovoltaic performance. In addition, with the similar defect emission intensities, sample exhibiting orange-red defect emission showed better performance than the samples emitting green defect emission. Nanoparticle properties and their relationship between dye adsorption, electron injection, electron lifetime and electron transport, and photovoltaic performance will be discussed. / published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Solar cells have extrinsic losses from a variety of sources which can be minimized by optimization of the design and fabrication processes. Reflection from the front surface is one such loss mechanism and has been managed in the past with the usage of planar antireflection coatings. While effective, these coatings are each limited to a single wavelength of light and do not account for varying incident angles of the incoming light source. Three-dimensional nanostructures have shown the ability to inhibit reflection for differing wavelengths and angles of incidence. Nanocones were modeled and show a broadband, multi-angled reflectance decrease due to an effective grading of the index. Finite element models were created to simulate incident light on a zinc oxide nanocone textured silicon substrate. Zinc oxide is advantageous for its ease of production, benign nature, and refractive index matching to the air source region and silicon substrate. Reflectance plots were computed as functions of incident angle and wavelength of light and compared with planar and quintic refractive index profile models. The quintic profile model exhibits nearly optimum reflection minimization and is thus used as a benchmark. Physical quantities, including height, width, density, and orientation were varied in order to minimize the reflectance. A quasi-random nanocone unit cell was modeled to better mimic laboratory results. The model was comprised of 10 nanocones with differing structure and simulated a larger substrate by usage of periodic boundary conditions. The simulated reflectance shows approximately a 50 percent decrease when compared with a planar model. When a seed layer is added, simulating a layer of non-textured zinc oxide, on which the nanocones are grown, the reflectance shows a fourfold decrease when compared with planar models. At angles of incidence higher than 75 degrees, the nanocone model outperformed the quintic model.

The objective of this thesis is to provide an initial demonstration of the feasibility of constructing highly transparent active electronic devices. Such a demonstration is successfully achieved in the fabrication of ZnO-based thin film transistors (TFTs) exhibiting transparency greater than ~90% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and prototypical n-channel, enhancement mode TFT characteristics. Electrical characterization studies of these ZnO-based transparent TFTs and of CuYO��� / ZnO / ITO p-i-n heterojunction diodes serve to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the behavior of these devices in particular, and of transparent electronic devices in general. Energy band analysis of the degenerate semiconductor / insulator heterojunction yields insight into the phenomenon of charge injection into an insulator, with important implications for the analysis of devices containing heterojunctions of this nature. Finally, a novel technique for simultaneously characterizing carrier injection into an insulator and interface channel formation, the capacitance-(voltage, frequency) [C-(V,f)] technique, is proposed and employed in the characterization of ZnO-based TFT structures. / Graduation date: 2003