Optical properties of organic–inorganic hybrid films prepared by the two-step growth process

Thin films of microcrystalline (C8H17NH3)2PbBr4 have been prepared by the two-step growth process as follows: (1) precipitation of nanometer-sized PbBr2 particles on substrates by vapor deposition and then (2) growth of (C8H17NH3)2PbBr4 films by exposing PbBr2 particles to C8H17NH3Br vapor. Atomic force microscope observations reveal that the substrate is fully covered with nanometer-sized rodlike precipitates. X-ray diffraction studies suggest that (C8H17NH3)2PbBr4 films are found to be microcrystalline form, single phase and highly oriented with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. (C8H17NH3)2PbBr4 films show a clear exciton absorption and free-exciton emission even at room temperature. At low temperatures below 40 K, the emission band separates into three bands at 3.07 (A-band), 3.14 (B-band) and 3.20 (C-band) eV, respectively. Both A- and C-bands correspond to the free-exciton emission with large binding energies. On the contrary, time-resolved PL spectra indicate that the B-band is attributed to phosphorescence formed by the intersystem crossing.