Near-blue photoluminescence of Zn-doped GaS single crystals

Abstract

The photoluminescence and optical absorption properties of Zn‐doped GaS crystals prepared by the iodine vapor transport method are reported. Undoped GaS crystals are also used for comparison. Zn substituted for a Ga site acts as an acceptor having a deep energy level and forms a complex with the iodine coactivator, which can be the luminescence center. When increasing the charged amount of Zn, the near‐blue emission band of 2.47 eV at 97 K becomes dominant, while the 2.17‐eV emission band due to the Ga vacancies, which is dominant in the undoped crystals, gradually vanishes because of the reduction of the Ga vacancies. It is thus described that Zn is a promising dopant in GaS for near‐blue‐light‐emitting devices.