The effect of fluorine–hydrogen treatment on the photoluminescent properties of multilayer (nc-Si–SiOx–SiOy)n nanostructures with porous barrier layers

Abstract

In this work, the investigations of spectral characteristics and kinetics of photoluminescence (PL) of light-emitting multilayer (nc-Si–SiOx–SiOy)n structures were performed. Such superlattices were formed on c-Si substrates by thermal deposition in vacuum of n = 30–40 pairs of solid SiOx nanolayers and barrier porous SiOy nanolayers (x < y ≤ 2) and subsequent high-temperature annealing and passivation in HF vapor. In this structure, the solid SiOx layers are active, and during annealing, the light-emitting nc-Si silicon nanoparticles are formed in them. It was found that for such samples, the position of PL maximum and its intensity depend on two factors: thickness of the active layers and time of passivation in HF vapor. This makes it possible to control the spectral composition and intensity of PL radiation, changing both the thickness of the initial layers of the superlattices and time of passivation.