PL characteristics of silicon-nanocrystals as a function of temperature

온도에 따른 실리콘 나노결정 PL 특성

Photoluminescence(PL) properties of Silicon nanocrystals (nc-Si) as a function of temperature is reported to consider the mechanism of PL. Nc-Si has been made by $Si^+$ ion-implantation into thermal $SiO_2$ and subsequent annealing. And after gold had been diffused at the same samples above, the resultant PL spectra has been compared to the PL spectra from the non-gold doped nc-Si. PL peak energy variation from nc-Si is same with the variation of energy bandgap of bulk silicon as temperature changes from 6 K to room temperature. This result may mean nc-Si is still indirect transition material like bulk silicon. Gold doped nc-Si reveals short peak wavelength of PL spectrum than gold undoped one. PL peak shift through gold doing process shows clearly the PL mechanism is not from defect or interface states. PL intensity increases from 6K to a certain temperature and then decrease to room temperature. This characteristic with temperature shows that phonon have a role for the luminescence as theory explains that electron and hole can be recombined radiatively by phonon's assist in nc-Si, which is almost impossible in bulk silicon. Therefore luminescence is observed in nc-Si constructed less than a few of unit cell and the peak energy of luminescence can be higher than the bulk bandgap energy by the bandgap widening effect occurs in nanostructure.