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Blue-light emission at room temperature from Ar+-irradiated SrTiO3

Nature Materials volume 4, pages 816–819 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Oxide-based electronic devices are expected to have fascinating properties, unlike those made from conventional semiconductors. SrTiO3 (STO) is a key material for this new field of electronics1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Here we report on blue-light emission at room temperature from Ar+-irradiated, metallic STO. The irradiation introduces oxygen deficiencies to a depth of ∼20 nm from the crystal surface. These deficiencies generate conduction carriers and stabilize a hole level in a self-trapped state. We propose a model by which the doped conduction electrons and the in-gap state produce a radiative process that results in blue-light emission. The emitting region can be patterned into any size and shape with conventional microscopic fabrication techniques.

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Figure 1: Temperature dependence of the sheet resistance of irradiated STO.
Figure 2: Structural changes induced by Ar+ irradiation.
Figure 3: Room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of irradiated STO crystals and reduced STO thin films.
Figure 4: Changes in the photoluminescence spectra of Ar+-irradiated STO from 300 to 20 K and the schematic models of possible mechanisms for the observed photoluminescence.
Figure 5: Examples of blue-light emission from a local engineered region of oxygen vacancies.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to S. Kasai for his assistance in the photolithography. Thanks are also due to K. Matsuda and H. Hirori for their assistance in the photoluminescence measurements. This work was partly supported by the Grant-in-Aids for COE Research on Elements Science (No. 12CE2005), Scientific Research on Priority Areas (No. 751), and Scientific Research (No. 17105002) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Daisuke Kan, Takahito Terashima, Ryoko Kanda, Atsunobu Masuno, Yoshihiko Kanemitsu, Yuichi Shimakawa & Mikio Takano

  2. Research Center for Low Temperature and Materials Sciences, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Takahito Terashima

  3. Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics K. K., Hamakita, Shizuoka, 434-8601, Japan

    Kazunori Tanaka, Shucheng Chu & Hirofumi Kan

  4. Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institutes of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan

    Atsushi Ishizumi & Yoshihiko Kanemitsu

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  1. Daisuke Kan
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Correspondence to Daisuke Kan.

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Kan, D., Terashima, T., Kanda, R. et al. Blue-light emission at room temperature from Ar+-irradiated SrTiO3. Nature Mater 4, 816–819 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1498

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