High-density SiC nanocrystals with strong photoluminescence via a nitrogen-loss route

Abstract

A nitrogen-loss technique was adopted to fabricate a SiC/SiO2 luminescent composite. Nitrogen atoms were released from a starting Si–C–N–O film after annealing at high temperature and SiC nanocrystals were produced in the SiO2 matrix. The density of SiC nanocrystals is as high as 5.2 × 1012 cm−2 and the size distribution centralizes at 2.0–2.5 nm. The SiC/SiO2 composite emits strong ultraviolet light and visible light, which are attributed to intrinsic emission and interface states, respectively, of SiC nanocrytals.