Single-crystalline Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ luminescent film on amorphous quartz glass

Abstract Fabrication of a single-crystalline film on an amorphous substrate without the help of a seed-crystal layer is a fundamental challenge in the field of materials science. Here, a highly (113)-oriented Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ single-crystalline luminescent film (ZSM-SCLF) on amorphous quartz glass (a-qSiO2) is first reported. The ZSM-SCLF is fabricated via a simple pathway involving vacuum-sealed vapor deposition followed by diffusion and reaction of the metal-oxide (ZnO, MnO) vapor on the a-qSiO2. Interestingly, the fabricated ZSM-SCLF has a hillock structure composed of dense micro embossing grains. The luminescent behavior is monitored according to the processing conditions as well as the morphology of the ZSM-SCLF. The results reveal that the microstrain induced by the unique morphology of the ZSM-SCLF could affect the luminescent behavior. Additionally, the unprecedented example of our ZSM-SCLF on a-qSiO2 is expected to provide the potential for fabrication of other silicon-based high-quality luminescent films and application to silicon-based optoelectronic devices.