Vacuum Ultraviolet And Visible Spectra Of Zno : Eu3+ Prepared By Combustion Synthesis

Zinc oxide doped with 1 at.% Eu3+ has been prepared by combustion synthesis using several different reductants. Samples sintered at 800 degrees C were similar to 30 nm in size and Fourier transform IR spectra demonstrated that they were relatively free of contaminants. Ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet laser excited emission spectra showed that Eu3+ ions are disordered and not situated at discrete lattice sites in ZnO and consequently no evidence for energy transfer from the host to Eu3+ was found. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation produced defect site emission in addition to near-band-edge emission but the intensity of the Eu3+ visible emission was very weak. Bands between 6.2 and 9.1 eV in the VUV excitation spectra have been assigned to electric dipole allowed transitions, 3d-4p.