High-efficiency visible photoluminescence from amorphous silicon nanoparticles embedded in silicon nitride

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Confinement of siliconnanoparticles in silicon nitride instead of an oxide matrix might materially facilitate its potential applications as a light-emitting component in optoelectronics. We report in this letter the production of high-density (up to 4.0×10 12 / cm 2 from micrographs) siliconnanoparticles in SiN x thin films by chemical vapor deposition on cold substrates. Strong room-temperature photoluminescence was observed in the whole visible light range from the deposits that were postannealed at 500 ° C for 2 min. The Si-in-SiN x films provide a significantly more effective photoluminescence than Si-in-SiO x fabricated with similar processing parameters: for blue light, the external quantum efficiency is over three times as large. The present results demonstrate that the nanostructured Si-in-SiN x system can be a very competitive candidate for the development of tunable high-efficiency light-emitting devices.