Low temperature plasma synthesis of photoluminescent nanocrystalline silicon-nitride

Abstract

Nanocrystalline Silicon (nc-Si) was grown within amorphous silicon-nitride matrix at low temperature by inductively coupled plasma-CVD technique without any post deposition process. X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman measurements demonstrated the formation of Si-nanocrystals. A strong blue photoluminescence (PL) having double peak was observed by an UV excitation. The origin of this luminescence band was analyzed as a result of the quantum confinement effect of the silicon nanocrystals having size < 3 nm.