Incorporation of hydrogen in porous silicon nanocrystallites

Abstract

AbstractQuantitative measurements of hydrogen concentration in porous silicon (PS) nanostructures reveal hydrogen incorporation inside the silicon nanocrystallites constituting the porous layers. We propose a phenomenological model in which the main cause responsible for hydrogen incorporation is the plastic deformation of silicon nanocrystallites accompanying their formation during the electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline Si and resulting in partial rupture of Si–Si bonds. Nanocrystallite dimension and layer porosity influence this relaxation phenomenon resulting in different concentrations of the incorporated hydrogen. A particular effect of such phenomenon is the almost complete transformation of highly porous Si consisting of small nanoparticles in a binary solid composite constituted by Si and H atoms. The impact of hydrogen incorporation on the photoluminescent properties of PS nanostructures is discussed. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)