Photoluminescence from Cu activated glass prepared by spray pyrolysis

Photoluminescent copper activated glass has been prepared by the spray pyrolysis technique at atmospheric pressure using air as carrier gas. The Cu source is an aqueous solution of CuCl₂ sprayed at relatively low substrate temperature, (420-510°C). Rutherford backscattering measurements show that the copper diffuses into the glass substrate. The photoluminescence spectra from these samples show a peak at about 500 nm. The intensity of this peak is strongly dependent on substrate temperature during deposition and on deposition time. This light emission is however, relatively independent of the solution flow rate which determines the amount of Cu reaching the glass surface during the preparation process. A Cu⁺ center is suggested as a possible source of the luminescence emission observed in these samples.