Luminescence processes induced by UV radiation in A1N nanotips and nanorods

The processes of the UV radiation induced photoluminescence, thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence in the AlN nanotips and nanorods are studied in comparison with those in the AlN ceramics. The emission spectra of the UV radiation induced luminescence processes in the AlN nanostructures are similar to those of AlN ceramics, presumably originating from recombination processes with participation of the oxygen-related centres. In the nanostructures the luminescence processes occur mainly through the excitation of the host lattice, probably due to the smaller content of the randomly distributed defects in the lattice. The observed small mutual differences in the luminescence properties of nanorods and nanotips may be explained by the modifications of the lattice structure and different surface defects. Dosimetric properties of AlN nanostructures are inferior to those of AlN ceramics due to the lower thermostimulated luminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) response and the higher fading rate of the stored signal.