` The thermal-activated carrier transfer processes in a Zn0.98Cd0.020 thin film grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy were investigated using temperature-dependent and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. As the temperature increases from 50 to 220 K, the carriers transfer from shallow to deep localized states. Additionally, the carriers escape from the deep localized states above 220 K due to an activation energy of about 19 meV. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.