We have grown Cr doped ZnSe thin films by pulsed laser deposition on GaAs, sapphire and Si substrates through KrF excimer laser ablation of hot-pressed targets containing appropriate stoichiometric mixtures of Zn, Se, and Cr species and hot-pressed ceramic targets made of ZnSe and CrSe powders in vacuum and in an He background environment (10-4 Torr). Deposited films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction to determine crystallinity and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence to confirm Cr incorporation into the films. Photoluminescence measurements on the films show intracenter Cr2+ emission in the technologically important 2-2.6 μm spectral range. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.
