Abstract:
Preparation and structural and optical characterization of semiconductor nanocrystals
of Sb2O3 and Y2O3 oxide dispersed in a crystalline matrices of alkali halides KBr, KCl
and NaCl.
In this work antimony oxide (Sb2O3) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanocrystals doped KBr, KCl and NaCl single crystals have been grown by Czochralski (Cz) method.
The effects of doping on the structural and optical properties of the host matrices have
been studied.
The structural studies of samples were performed by XRD, μ-Raman, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The treatment of XRD spectrum confirms the existence of crystallites of dopants (Sb2O3 and Y2O3) in the nanometer regime; on the other hand, the existence of the stable monoclinic phase crystallites (Y2O3) under atmospheric conditions reconfirms presence of (Y2O3) in nanoscale.
Studies by μ-Raman and IR confirmed the presence of chemical bonds Y—O and Sb—O in the different matrices.
The morphological study using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows that the micron grains scattered on the surface. The volume of these aggregates is due to the fact that the nanocrystals have a tendency to reduce its free energy (Gibbs energy) of surface.
The optical absorption and photoluminescence shows that the optical gaps of the crystallites (Sb2O3 and Y2O3) have been shifted to the high energy due to the quantum confinement effect of the charges.
The samples have important intense luminescence properties in the ultraviolet range. This feature makes these materials candidates which might come in the manufacture of components for optical systems using shorter wavelengths.
