Optical properties of \textit{n}- and \textit{p}-type ZnO thin films -- two different approaches to the impurity distribution inhomogeneity

Abstract

We investigated the optical properties of epitaxial \textit{n}- and \textit{p}-type ZnO films grown on lattice-matched ScAlMgO$_4$ substrates. Chemical doping yielded a severe inhomogeneity in a statistical distribution of involved charged impurities. Two approaches are adopted to treat the inhomogeneity effects; Monte Carlo simulation technique for the \textit{n}-doped films, and the fluctuation theory for the \textit{p}-ZnO. The broadening of PL band of \textit{n}-ZnO was significantly larger than predicted by theoretical results in which the linewidths of each individual emissions have been determined mainly from the concentration fluctuation of donor-type dopants by the simulation. Moreover, the rather asymmetrical line shape was observed. To explain these features, a vibronic model was developed accounting for contributions from a series of phonon replicas. In case of \textit{p}-type ZnO:N, analysis of excitation-intensity dependence of the peak shift of donor-acceptor luminescence with a fluctuation model has also proven the importance of the inhomogeneity effect of charged impurity distribution, as in the case of ZnO:Ga. We extracted the inhomogeneity in the sample and acceptor activation energy prepared under the various growth conditions. It is shown that the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental 5-K time-resolved luminescence for the systems in a fluctuation field. Finally, localized-state distributions have been studied in N-doped ZnO thin films by means of transient photocurrent measurement.