Effect of synthesis temperature on the structure and optical properties of electro-chemically grown GaAs nanocrystals

GaAs nanocrystal-generated thin films were synthesized by a low-temperature electro-deposition technique. The structure and the optical properties of the above nanocrystalline thin film were systematically investigated and compared with the corresponding properties of bulk GaAs. We attempted to dope the GaAs nanocrystals with yttrium by an electro-deposition technique. Yttrium-doped GaAs nanocrystals show infrared photoluminescence even at room temperature. We suggested that the photoluminescence was probably due to the deep defects created by yttrium. The micro-Raman spectrum of GaAs nanocrystalline thin film contained defect associated phonon mode ascribed to possible structural disorder.