Ultraviolet photoluminescence of ZnO quantum dots sputtered at room-temperature

We observe ultraviolet photoluminescence from sputtered ZnO quantum dots which are fabricated with no annealing steps. The nanocrystals are embedded in amorphous SiO(2) and exhibit a narrow size distribution of 3.5 +/- 0.6 nm. Photoluminescence and transmittance measurements show a shift of ultraviolet emission and absorption of the dots compared to bulk ZnO material. This work paves the way for cheap nanooptical devices in the ultraviolet which are fabricated in a single sputtering run. (c) 2011 Optical Society of America