Thermal dependence of free exciton emission in ultraviolet cathodoluminescence of colloidal ZnS

Abstract Cathodoluminescence properties of the colloidal ZnS nanopowders synthesized by using hydrothermal process, a large scale production method, are reported. The cathodoluminescence spectra were obtained for temperature from 5 to 300 K, where an intensive free exciton originated 326 nm emission was observed. This band did not split under the increase of excitation beam current density and prevailed even at room temperature. The weaker emissions appeared at 331, 333, 337 and 343 nm which were related to excitons bound to neutral acceptor (A o , X), transition from conduction band to acceptor levels (e, A) and their corresponding (e, A)−1LO, (e, A)−2LO phonon replicas. With increasing temperature the free exciton band shifted towards lower energy and its intensity decreased at 36.5 meV thermal quenching threshold. The dependence of band gap on temperature was also determined.