Identification of (Tb,Eu)(SiO)O Oxy-Apatite Structures as Nanometric Inclusions in Annealed (Eu,Tb)-Doped ZnO/Si Junctions: Combined Electron Diffraction and Chemical Contrast Imaging Studies.

(Tb,Eu)-doped ZnO-annealed films at 1100 °C showed intense photoluminescense (PL) emission from Eu and Tb ions. The high-temperature annealing led to a chemical segregation and a secondary Zn-free phase formation that is suspected to be responsible for the high PL intensity. Large faceted inclusions of rare-earth (RE) silicates of a size of few hundred nanometers were observed.