Thermoluminescence properties of Al doped ZnO nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles doped with aluminum (AZO nanoparticles) were investigated using low temperature thermoluminescence (TL) and structural characterization experiments. TL experiments were performed on AZO nanoparticles in the temperature range of 10-300 K. TL curve presented one intensive peak around 123 K and two overlapped peaks to intensive peak around 85 and 150 K for heating rate of 0.1 K/s. Curve fitting and initial rise methods were used to find the activation energies of associated trapping centers. Analyses resulted in the presence of three centers at 0.05, 0.08 and 0.17 eV with peak maximum temperatures (Tm) of 86.2, 121.5 and 147.1 K, respectively. TL experiments were expanded using different heating rates between 0.1 K/s and 0.5 K/s. Behavior of revealed traps was investigated using an experimental technique called as Tm− Tstop method. It was seen that traps are quasi-continuously distributed within the band gap. Structural properties were studied using x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy experiments.