journal article·2013-04

Optical properties of uniformly sized silicon nanocrystals within a single silicon oxide layer

A. En Naciri, P. Miska, A.-S. Keita, Y. Battie, H. Rinnert, M. Vergnat

Journal of Nanoparticle Research· Volume 15· Issue 4
Publisher page

Abstract

Silicon nanocrystals (Si-NC) with different sizes (2–6 nm) are synthesized by evaporation. The system is composed of a single Si-NC layer that is well controlled in size. The numerical modeling of such system, without a large size distribution, is suitable to perform easily the optical calculations. The nanocrystal size and confinement effects on the optical properties are determined by photoluminescence (PL) measurements, absorption in the UV visible range, and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The optical constants and the bandgap energies are then extracted and analyzed. The dependence of the optical responses with the decrease of the size of the Si-NC occurs not only with a drastic reduction of the amplitudes of dielectric function but also by a significant expansion of the optical gap. This study supports the idea of a presence of a critical size of Si-NC for which the confinement effect becomes weak. The evolution of those bandgap energies are discussed in comparison with values reported in literature.
Source: openaire · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Silicon Nanostructures and Photoluminescence · Nanowire Synthesis and Applications · Semiconductor materials and devices

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

References (35)

Show source-provided references
1. Agocs E, Petrik P, Milita S, Vanzetti L, Gardelis S, Nassiopoulou AG, Pucker G, Balboni R, Fried M (2011) Optical characterization of nanocrystals in silicon rich oxide superlattices and porous silicon. Thin Solid Films 519:3002–3005. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.03110.1016/j.tsf.2010.11.072 ↗
2. Alonso MI, Marcus IC, Garriga M, Goni AR, Jedrzejewski J, Balberg I (2010) Evidence of quantum confinement effects on interband optical transitions in Si nanocrystals. Phys Rev B 82:045302. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.82.04530210.1103/PhysRevB.82.045302 ↗
3. Azzam RMA, Bashara NM (1977) Ellipsometry and polarized light. North-Holland Publishing Company, Oxford
4. Dal Negro L, Yi JH, Kimerling LC, Hamel S, Williamson A, Galli G (2006) Light emission from silicon-rich nitride nanostructures. Appl Phys Lett 88:183103. doi: 10.1063/1.219195610.1063/1.2191956 ↗
5. Degoli E, Ossicini S (2000) The electronic and optical properties of Si/SiO2 superlattices: role of confined and defect states. Surf Sci 470:32–42. doi: 10.1016/S0039-6028(00)00832-310.1016/S0039-6028(00)00832-3 ↗
6. Delerue C, Lannoo M (2004) Nanostructures: theory and modeling. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg10.1007/978-3-662-08903-3 ↗
7. Delerue C, Allan G, Lannoo M (1993) Theoretical aspects of the luminescence of porous silicon. Phys Rev B 48:11024. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.48.1102410.1103/PhysRevB.48.11024 ↗
8. Ding L, Chen TP, Liu Y, Wang M, Fung S (2005) Thermal annealing effect on the band gap and dielectric functions of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 matrix. Appl Phys Lett 87:121903. doi: 10.1063/1.205180710.1063/1.2051807 ↗
9. Ding L, Chen TP, Liu Y, Yang M, Wong JI, Liu YC, Trigg AD, Zhu FR, Tan MC, Fung S (2007) Influence of nanocrystal size on optical properties of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 synthesized by Si ion implantation. J Appl Phys 101:103525. doi: 10.1063/1.273056010.1063/1.2730560 ↗
10. En Naciri A, Mansour M, Johann L, Grob J-J, Stoquert J (2008) Influence of the implantation profiles of Si+ on the dielectric function and optical transitions in silicon nanocrystals. J Chem Phys 129:184701. doi: 10.1063/1.300922310.1063/1.3009223 ↗
11. Forouhi RA, Bloomer I (1988) Optical properties of crystalline semiconductors and dielectrics. Phys Rev B 38:1865. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.38.186510.1103/PhysRevB.38.1865 ↗
12. Gallas B, Stenger I, Kao C-C, Fisson S, Vuye G, Rivory J (2005) Optical properties of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2. Phys Rev B 72:155319. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.72.12541910.1103/PhysRevB.72.155319 ↗
13. Gong Y, Ishikawa S, Cheng M, Gunji S-L, Nishi Y, Vučković J (2010) Photoluminescence from silicon dioxide photonic crystal cavities with embedded silicon nanocrystals. Phys Rev B 81:235317. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.81.23531710.1103/PhysRevB.81.235317 ↗
14. Grün M, Miska P, Devaux X, Rinnert H, Vergnat M (2011) Optical properties of a silicon-nanocrystal-based-microcavity prepared by evaporation. Opt Mater 33:1248–1251. doi: 10.1016/j.optmat.2011.02.02110.1016/j.optmat.2011.02.021 ↗
15. Jambois O (2005) Photoluminescence and electroluminescence of size-controlled silicon nanocrystallites embedded in SiO2 thin films. J Appl Phys 98:046105. doi: 10.1063/1.203408710.1063/1.2034087 ↗
16. Jambois O, Rinnert H, Devaux X, Vergnat M (2006) Influence of the annealing treatments on the luminescence properties of SiO/SiO2 multilayers. J Appl Phys 100:123504. doi: 10.1063/1.240297610.1063/1.2402976 ↗
17. Jellison GE Jr, Modine FA (1996) Parameterization of the optical functions of amorphous materials in the interband region. Appl Phys Lett 69:371. doi: 10.1063/1.118064 (Erratum: Appl Phys Lett 69:2137. doi: 10.1063/1.118155 )10.1063/1.118064 ↗
18. Kanemitsu Y, Okamoto S (1998) Phonon structures and Stokes shift in resonantly excited luminescence of silicon nanocrystals. Phys Rev B 58:8655–9652. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.58.965210.1103/PhysRevB.58.9652 ↗
19. Kanemitsu Y, Okamoto S, Otobe M, Oda S (1997) Photoluminescence mechanism in surface-oxidized silicon nanocrystals. Phys Rev B 55:R7375–R7378. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.55.R737510.1103/PhysRevB.55.R7375 ↗
20. Keita A-S, En Naciri A (2011) Size distribution dependence of the dielectric function of Si quantum dots described by a modified Maxwell–Garnett formulation. Phys Rev B 84:125436. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.84.12543610.1103/PhysRevB.84.125436 ↗
21. Keita A-S, En Naciri A, Delachat F, Carrada M, Ferblantier G, Slaoui A (2011) Ellipsometric demonstration of the existence of a strong correlation between size distribution and optical responses of silicon nanoclusters in a nitride matrix. Appl Phys Lett 99:131903. doi: 10.1063/1.364413110.1063/1.3644131 ↗
22. Kovalev D, Heckler H, Polisski G, Koch F (1999) Optical properties of Si nanocrystals. Phys Status Solid B 215:871–932. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-3951(19991010.1002/(SICI)1521-3951(199910)215:2<871::AID-PSSB871>3.0.CO;2-9 ↗
23. Lalic N, Linnros J (1998) Light emitting diode structure based on Si nanocrystals formed by implantation into thermal oxide. J Lumin 80:263–267. doi: 10.1016/S0022-2313(98)00109-410.1016/S0022-2313(98)00109-4 ↗
24. Lee KL, Kang TD, Lee H, Hon SH, Choi S-H, Seong T-Y, Kim KJ, Moon DW (2005) Optical properties of SiO2/nanocrystalline Si multilayers studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry. Thin Solid Films 476:196–200. doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2004.09.03710.1016/j.tsf.2004.09.037 ↗
25. Lioudakis E, Othonos A, Hadjisavvas GC, Kelires PC, Nassiopoulou AG (2007) Quantum confinement and interface structure of Si nanocrystals of sizes 3–5 nm embedded in a-SiO2. Phys E 38:128–134. doi: 10.1016/j.physe.2006.12.02010.1016/j.physe.2006.12.020 ↗
26. Losurdo M, Giangregorio MM, Capezzuto P, Gallas B, Cerqueira MF, Alves E, Stepikhova M (2003) Dielectric function of nanocrystalline silicon with few nanometers («3 nm) grain size. Appl Phys Lett 82:2993. doi: 10.1063/1.156905210.1063/1.1569052 ↗
27. Pan L, Sun Z, Sun C (2009) Coordination imperfection enhanced electron–phonon interaction and band-gap expansion in Si and Ge nanocrystals. Scr Mater 60:1105–1108. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.03110.1016/j.scriptamat.2009.02.046 ↗
28. Polman A, Van Veggel FCJM (2004) Broadband sensitizers for erbium-doped planar optical amplifiers: review. J Opt Soc Am B 21:871–892. doi: 10.1364/JOSAB.21.00087110.1364/JOSAB.21.000871 ↗
29. Sa’ar A, Reichman Y, Dovrat M, Jrapf D, Jedzrejewski J, Balberg I (2005) Resonant coupling between surface vibrations and electronic states in silicon nanocrystals at the strong confinement regime. Nano Lett 5:2443–2447. doi: 10.1021/nl051740e10.1021/nl051740e ↗
30. Sagar DM, Cooney RR, Sewall SL, Dias EA, Barsan MM, Butler IS, Kambhampati P (2008) Size dependent, state-resolved studies of exciton–phonon couplings in strongly confined semiconductor quantum dots. Phys Rev B 77:235321. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.77.23532110.1103/PhysRevB.77.235321 ↗
31. Stenger I, Gallas B, Siozade L, Kao C-C, Chenot S, Fisson S, Vuye G, Rivory J (2008) Evolution of the optical properties of Si nanoparticles embedded in SiO2 as function of annealing conditions. J Appl Phys 103:114303. doi: 10.1063/1.293708610.1063/1.2937086 ↗
32. Takeoka S, Fujii M, Hayashi S (2000) Size-dependent photoluminescence from surface-oxidized Si nanocrystals in a weak confinement regime. Phys Rev B 62:16820–16825. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.62.1682010.1103/PhysRevB.62.16820 ↗
33. Weissker HCh, Furthmüller J, Bechstedt F (2003) Validity of effective-medium theory for optical properties of embedded nanocrystallites from ab initio supercell calculations. Phys Rev B 67:165322. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.67.16532210.1103/PhysRevB.67.165322 ↗
34. Wolkin MV, Jorne J, Fauchet PM, Allan G, Delerue C (1999) Electronic states and luminescence in porous silicon quantum dots: the role of oxygen. Phys Rev Lett 82:197–200. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.19710.1103/PhysRevLett.82.197 ↗
35. Wora Adeola G, Jambois O, Miska P, Rinnert H, Vergnat M (2006) Luminescence efficiency at 1.5 μm of Er-doped thick SiO layers and Er-doped SiO/SiO2 multilayers. Appl Phys Lett 89:101920. doi: 10.1063/1.234931610.1063/1.2349316 ↗