Influence of hole diameter on the average size and quantity distribution of Si nanoparticles

Abstract

The single crystalline Si target with high resistivity was ablated by a XeCl excimer laser (wavelength 308nm) in pure Ar gas under the ambient pressure of 10 Pa. The mask with a 1-10 mm diameter hole in the center was placed at a distance of 1.5 cm to the Si target. The Si nanocrystalline films were systemically deposited on a glass or single crystalline Si substrate placed behind the mask parallelly with a distance of 1.0 cm. The Raman and X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that the films were nanocrystalline. Scanning electron microscope images of the films showed that the diameter of the hole affected on the quantity and distributed range of Si nanoparticles on the substrate. It was obtained that the average size of Si nanoparticles decreasing with the diameter of the hole increasing, the quantity of Si nanoparticles was proportional to the power of 1.5 of the hole diameter. It is the nonlinear dynamic process to lead to the experimental result.