Abstract
Abstract In this chapter (and the next one), we turn our attention to silicon-based electronic devices. In particular, we present here the characterization of an active layer stack for novel optoelectronic devices consisting of alternate thin layers of pure silica (SiO2) and silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRO, SiOx). Upon high temperature annealing the SRO sublayer segregates into a Si nanocluster (Si-nc) precipitate phase and a SiO2 matrix. Additionally, erbium (Er) ions were implanted and used as luminescent centers in order to obtain a narrow emission at 1.54 μm. By means of the combination of HAADF and EELS techniques, structural and chemical information from the embedded Si-ncs is revealed. The analyzed energy-loss spectra contain contributions from the Si-ncs and the surrounding SiO2. By performing a double plasmon fit, the spatial distribution of the Si-ncs and the SiO2 barriers is accurately determined in the multilayer. Additionally, the quality of the studied multilayer in terms of composition, roughness, and defects is analyzed and discussed. Er clusterization was not observed, neither by HAADF-EELS nor EDX. Blue-shifted plasmon and interband transition energies for silica are measured, in the presence of Er ions and sizable quantum confinement effects.
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