Growth of nearly one nanometer large silicon particles in silicon carbide and their quantum-confined photoluminescence features

Silicon particles approaching the size of 1 nm were grown along with the confining SiC films by employing a low-temperature chemical vapor deposition procedure. The resulting amorphous composite structure enables an experimental study of the quantum confinement effect in extremely narrow potential wells, as exemplified here by photoluminescence measurement. Owing to the enhanced energy fluctuation for such small particles, strong photoluminescence centered at 450–540 nm, and of comparable profiles, was measured in one single sample with an excitation wavelength selectable within 360–420 nm. Moreover, the typical decay time was found to be below 3.0 ns. These properties hold promise for the fabrication of wide-spectrum photoreceptors, ultraviolet-light detectors, and other optoelectronic devices.