Abstract
The mechanoluminescence (ML) emission during the elastic deformation of ZnS:Mn crystals occurs due to the electrostatic
interaction between dislocation segments and filled electron traps, and the ML emission during the plastic deformation of IIVI
semiconductors takes place due to the mechanical interaction between the moving dislocations and filled electron traps.
In the elastic region, the ML intensity increases linearly with the strain or deformation time, and in this case, the saturation
region could not be observed because of the beginning of plastic deformation before the start of saturation in the ML
intensity. In the plastic region, initially the ML intensity also increases linearly with the strain or deformation time, and later
on it attains a saturation value for large deformation. When the deformation is stopped, then at low temperature the ML
intensity decreases with time whereby the decay time of ML gives the relaxation time of dislocation segments or pinning
time of the dislocations. For the deformation at fast strain rate, there are two components of ML decay, in which the fast
decay gives the relaxation time of dislocation segments or pinning time of dislocations, and the slow decay gives the lifetime
of electrons in the shallow traps The saturation value of the ML intensity increases linearly with the strain rate and also with
the density of filled electron traps in the crystals. The saturation value of ML intensity decreases with increasing temperature
of the crystals because of the decreases of the luminescence efficiency and radius of interaction of dislocations with filled
electron traps with increasing temperature. From the ML measurements the relaxation time of dislocation segments, pinning
time of dislocations, and the lifetime of electrons in shallow traps can be determined. Expressions derived for the ML
induced by elastic and plastic deformation of II-VI semiconductors at fixed strain rate, indicate that the ML intensity depends
on the strain, strain rate, stress, ....
Keywords
Mechanoluminescence, Luminescence, Optical properties, II-VI semiconductors, Dislocations electron traps.
Citation
B. P. CHANDRA, R. K. GOUTAM, V. K. CHANDRA, R. P. PATEL, A. K. LUKA, R. N. BAGHEL, Luminescence induced by elastic and plastic deformation of II – VI semiconductors at fixed strain rates, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 3, 11, November 2009, pp.1181-1189 (2009).
Submitted at: Sept. 15, 2009
Accepted at: Oct. 29, 2009