TY - JOUR
T1 - Visible photoluminescence from silicon nanoclusters embedded in silicon nitride films prepared by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition
AU - Benami, A.
AU - Santana, G.
AU - Monroy, B. M.
AU - Ortiz, A.
AU - Alonso, J. C.
AU - Fandiño, J.
AU - Aguilar-Hernández, J.
AU - Contreras-Puente, G.
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the technical assistance of L. Huerta, M.A. Canseco, C. Flores J. Camacho, S. Jimenez, and partial financial support for this work from CONACyT-México, under project 47303-F, PAPIIT-UNAM under project IN-109803 and PAPIIT-UNAM under project IN-114406-2. Abellah Benami is thankful to DGEP-UNAM for the Scholarship.
PY - 2007/4
Y1 - 2007/4
N2 - The photoluminescence (PL) of silicon nanoclusters embedded in silicon nitride films grown by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 200 °C, using mixtures of SiCl4/H2/Ar/NH3 is investigated. It was found that the color and the intensity of the PL of the as-grown samples depend on the H2 flow rate, and there is an optimum flow for which a maximum luminescence is obtained. A strong improvement of the PL intensity and change in color was obtained with annealing treatments in the range of 500-1000 °C. The changes in the composition, structure and optical properties of the films, as a function of H2 flow rate and thermal treatments, were studied by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry and ultraviolet-visible transmission measurements. We conclude that the PL can be attributed to quantum confinement effect in silicon nanoclusters embedded in silicon nitride matrix, which is improved when a better passivation of the nanoclusters surface is obtained.
AB - The photoluminescence (PL) of silicon nanoclusters embedded in silicon nitride films grown by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 200 °C, using mixtures of SiCl4/H2/Ar/NH3 is investigated. It was found that the color and the intensity of the PL of the as-grown samples depend on the H2 flow rate, and there is an optimum flow for which a maximum luminescence is obtained. A strong improvement of the PL intensity and change in color was obtained with annealing treatments in the range of 500-1000 °C. The changes in the composition, structure and optical properties of the films, as a function of H2 flow rate and thermal treatments, were studied by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry and ultraviolet-visible transmission measurements. We conclude that the PL can be attributed to quantum confinement effect in silicon nanoclusters embedded in silicon nitride matrix, which is improved when a better passivation of the nanoclusters surface is obtained.
KW - Nanoclusters
KW - Photoluminescence
KW - RPECVD
KW - Silicon
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34147223505&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physe.2006.12.047
DO - 10.1016/j.physe.2006.12.047
M3 - Artículo
SN - 1386-9477
VL - 38
SP - 148
EP - 151
JO - Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures
JF - Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures
IS - 1-2
ER -