Structural and light emission properties of silicon-based nanostructures with high excess silicon content

Structural and light emission properties of Si-rich SiO₂ layers with high excess Si content grown by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering were studied by Raman scattering, X-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance and photoluminescence methods. After high temperature annealing of the layers with Si excess more than 55% comparable contribution of amorphous and crystalline silicon phases in the structure was observed. Besides, the preferable orientation of Si crystallites in 〈 1 1 1 〉 direction was found for the layers grown on both silicon and quartz substrates. It was shown that the effect of crystallites orientation depends on excess Si content. It was observed that both crystalline and amorphous Si inclusions give the essential contribution to the photoluminescence spectra.