Photoluminescence and resonant Raman scattering in N-doped ZnO thin films

A combination of studies on photoluminescence and resonant Raman scattering in N-doped ZnO thin films were carried out at room temperature. In the photoluminescence spectra, a transformation of radiative recombination mechanism from free-exciton to donor–acceptor-pair transition was observed. An enhancement of resonant Raman scattering processes as well as longitudinal optical (LO) phonon overtones up to the sixth order were observed in the Raman spectra. Also, the nature of the 1LO phonon underwent a transformation from a pure A1(LO) mode to a quasimode with mixed A1 and E1 symmetry. The underlying mechanisms accounting for the influences of N doping on the optical properties of ZnO were related to the incorporation of extrinsic defects in the crystal lattice.