Mechanism of photoluminescence of Si nanocrystals in SiO2 fabricated by ion implantation: the role of interactions of nanocrystals and oxygen

Abstract

A possible mechanism for the photoemission from Si nanocrystals in an amorphous SiO2 matrix fabricated by ion implantation is reported. We have measured the implantation dose and the temperature dependence as well as the oxidation effect of the photoluminescence behaviour of Si nanocrystals in SiO2 layers fabricated by ion implantation and a subsequent annealing step. After annealing, a photoluminescence band, peaking just below 1.7 eV was observed. The peak energy of the photoluminescence was found to be affected by the dose of implanted Si ions and the temperature during ion implantation, but to be independent of annealing time and excitation photon energy. We also present experimental results of an oxidation-induced continuous peak energy shift of the photoluminescence peak up to around 1.8 eV. This peak energy, however, was found to return to its previous position with re-annealing. These results indicate that whilst the excitation photons are absorbed by Si nanocrystals, the emission is not simply due to electron-hole recombination inside the Si nanocrystals, but is related to the presence of defects, most likely located at the interface between the Si nanocrystals and the SiO2, for which the characteristic energy levels are affected by cluster-cluster interactions or the roughness of the interface.