A Comparison of the Effects of Silicon Oxide and Silicon Nitride Host Matrices on the Photoluminescence from Si Nanocrystals after High Temperature Annealing

Abstract

Si nanoclusters embedded in two different dielectric matrices, silicon oxide and silicon nitride, have been formed through annealing of Si-rich silicon oxide (SRSO) and Si-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) thin films. The light emitting properties of these

materials have been analyzed through room temperature UV- excited photoluminescence (PL) experiments. Features of the PL

spectra from both types are presented and the nature of light emission from Si-nanoclusters is discussed on the basis of the results from these two different host environments.