Luminescent properties of Sb-doped ZnSe single crystals

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnSe:0.1at%Sb single crystals are studied between 90 and 300 K. The samples are grown by the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method with iodine as a transport agent and doped with Sb impurity during the growth. A yellow PL band with a maximum at 2.16 eV (575 nm) at room temperature is observed for the first time. A model of a (SbSeISe) acceptor center with the energy level located at 0.52 eV above the valence band edge is proposed, and the mechanism of the formation of this yellow PL band under direct and indirect excitation is discussed.