Optical properties of ZnO:Al epilayers and of undoped epilayers capped by wider-gap MgZnO grown by laser MBE

Interaction between photocreated carriers and background excess-electrons in single-crystalline Al-doped ZnO epilayers (1.9 × 10 19 ≤ n ≤ 6.7 × 10 20 cm -3 ) are studied by using optical absorption spectroscopy. The Burstein Moss shift of the absorption edge energy over the carrier concentration range of n > 5.9 × 10 20 cm -3 was confirmed. We propose that the Fermi-edge singularity as a result of many-body Coulomb effect could be observed in the samples of 1.9 x 10 19 < n < 4.8 x 10 19 cm -3 even at room temperature. In the second part, we report the optical properties of a ZnO epilayer capped with a MgZnO layer. The luminescence spectrum taken at 5 K encompassed free exciton emissions from the ZnO layer. These free excitons have been hardly recognized in the uncapped epilayers grown under the identical condition. This may indicate the suppression of the exciton-trapping center formation attained by the capping.