Time-resolved and time-integrated photoluminescence in ZnO epilayers grown on Al2O3(0001) by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

We report on photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO films grown by low pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. For PL measurements, high quality ZnO thin films were epitaxially grown on Al2O3(0001) substrates. Time-integrated PL spectra of the films at 10 K clearly exhibited free A and B excitons at 3.376 and 3.382 eV and bound exciton peaks at 3.360, 3.364, and 3.367 eV. With increasing temperature, intensities of the bound exciton peaks drastically decreased and a free exciton peak was dominant above 40 K. Furthermore, time-resolved PL measurements at the free exciton peak were carried out at room temperature. The decay profiles were of double-exponential form, and the decay time constants of 180 ps and 1.0 ns were obtained using a least-square fit of the data.