Photoluminescence and extinction enhancement from ZnO films embedded with Ag nanoparticles

ZnO films embedded with Ag nanoparticles are deposited at 750 degrees C with a reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The films are found to have a large enhancement in the intensity of photoluminescence emission and in the extinction of incident light. The enhancement is assigned to be from the interaction between the localized surface plasmons in the Ag nanoparticels and the light. The surface plasmons in the films can be excited in a wide range, from ultraviolet to near infrared wavelength of light. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3525171]