On the origin of light emission from porous anodic alumina formed in sulfuric acid

We have investigated the photoluminescence (PL) property of porous anodic alumina membranes (PAAMs) formed on bulk Al foils in 0.3 M sulfuric acid. Different from that from the PAAMs formed in oxalic acid, the obtained PL spectra show two emission bands which have different origins. One centered at ∼465 nm (α-band) weakens its intensity in the PAAM annealed in O2 and is thus attributed to optical transition in oxygen vacancies. The other in the blue (β-band) redshifts with increasing excitation wavelength. On the basis of spectral examinations and analyses, we ascribe the β-band to radiative recombination of carriers in the isolated hydroxyl groups at the surface of the pore wall, whereas the photogeneration of carriers takes place in oxygen vacancies in the pore wall. This work improves the understanding of the light-emitting property of the PAAMs formed in sulfuric and oxalic acid.