Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T18:13:46.125Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Experimental and Theoretical Joint Study on the Electronic and Structural Properties of Silicon Nanocrystals Embedded in SiO2: active Role of the Interface Region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

N. Daldosso
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Univ. di Trento, via Sommarive 14, 38050 Povo, Trento, Italy
M. Luppi
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/A, 41100 Modena, Italy
G. Dalba
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Univ. di Trento, via Sommarive 14, 38050 Povo, Trento, Italy
L. Pavesi
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Univ. di Trento, via Sommarive 14, 38050 Povo, Trento, Italy
F. Rocca
Affiliation:
CNR-IFN, Sezione “CeFSA” di Trento, I-38050 Povo, Trento, Italy
F. Priolo
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Catania, Corso Italia 57, 95129 Catania, Italy
G. Franzò
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Catania, Corso Italia 57, 95129 Catania, Italy
F. Iacona
Affiliation:
CNR-IMM, Sezione di Catania, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania, Italy
E. Degoli
Affiliation:
INFM-S3-DISMI, Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Allegri 13, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy
R. Magri
Affiliation:
INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/A, 41100 Modena, Italy
S. Ossicini
Affiliation:
INFM-S3-DISMI, Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Allegri 13, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Get access

Abstract

The local environment of light emitting silicon nanocrystals (Si-nc) embedded in amorphous SiO2 has been studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and by ab-initio total energy calculations. Si-nc have been formed by PECVD deposition of SiOx with different Si content (from 35 to 42 at.%) and thermal annealing at high temperature (1250 °C). The comparison between total electron yield (TEY) and photoluminescence yield (PLY) spectra has allowed the identification of a modified region of SiO2 (about 1 nm thick) surrounding the Si-nc, which participates to the light emission of Si-nc. Total energy calculations, within the density functional theory, clearly show that Si-nc are surrounded by a cap-shell of stressed SiO2 with a thickness of about 1 nm. The optoelectronic properties show the appearance of localized states not only in the Si-nc core region but also in the modified SiO2 region.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Wolkin, M. V. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 197 (1999).Google Scholar
2. Degoli, E. and Ossicini, S., Surf. Sci. 470, 32 (2000).Google Scholar
3. Puzder, A. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 097401 (2002).Google Scholar
4. Vasiliev, I., Chelikowsky, J.R., and Martin, R.M., Phys. Rev. B 65, 121302(R) (2002).Google Scholar
5. Filonov, A.B. et al., Phys. Rev. B. 65, 195317 (2002).Google Scholar
6. Pavesi, L., Negro, L. Dal, Mazzoleni, C., Franzò, G. and Priolo, F., Nature 408, 440 (2000).Google Scholar
7. Negro, L. Dal, Cazzanelli, M., Daldosso, N., Gaburro, Z., Pavesi, L., Priolo, F., Pacifici, D., Franzò, G., and Iacona, F.., Physica E 16, 297 (2003).Google Scholar
8. Iacona, F., Franzò, G., and Spinella, C., J. Appl. Phys. 87, 1295 (2000).Google Scholar
9. Prakash, G. Vijaya, et al, J. Nanosci. Nanotech. 1, 159 (2001).Google Scholar
10. Erbil, A., III, G. S. Cargill, Frahm, R., and Boehme, R. F., Phys. Rev. B 37, 2450 (1988).Google Scholar
11. Dalba, G., Fornasini, P., Grisenti, R., Daldosso, N., and Rocca, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 1454 (1999).Google Scholar
12. Dalba, G., Daldosso, N., Fornasini, P., Grimaldi, M., Grisenti, R., and Rocca, F., Phys. Rev. B 62, 9911 (2000).Google Scholar
13. CAmbridge Serial Total Energy Package, Version 4.2.1, 1 October 2000. Milman, V., B. et al., Int. J. Quant. Chem. 77, 895 (2000).Google Scholar
14. Dalba, G., Daldosso, N., Fornasini, P., Grisenti, R., Pavesi, L., Rocca, F., Franzò, G., Priolo, F., and Iacona, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 889 (2003).Google Scholar
15. Daldosso, N., PHD Thesis (2001), Université J. Fourier, Grenoble, France.Google Scholar
16. Lagarde, P. et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 32, 613 (1993).Google Scholar