Size control of silicon nanocrystals in silicon nitride film deposited by catalytic chemical vapor deposition at a low temperature (⩽200 °C)

Abstract

We observed a wide range of photoluminescence (PL) energy variation from silicon nanocrystals prepared at a low temperature (⩽200 °C). The size of the silicon nanocrystals was controlled by varying the NH3/SiH4 mixture ratio. The PL peaks consist of three compounds: nanocrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon and nitrogen dangling bond. The luminescence from the silicon nanocrystals was dominant, and its wavelength varied from 510 to 710 nm as the subgrain size changed from 3.5 to 5 nm.