Visible photoluminescence of co-sputtered Ge–Si duplex nanocrystals

Abstract

The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of co-sputtered Ge–Si duplex nanocrystal films were examined under excitation by a 325-nm HeCd laser, combined with Raman and Fourier-transform infrared reflection spectra analysis. A broad visible PL spectrum from the as-deposited Ge–Si nanocrystal films was observed in the wavelength range 350–700 nm. Basically, the PL spectrum can be considered to consist of two distinct parts originating from different emission mechanisms: (i) the spectrum in the range 350–520 nm, consisting of characteristic double peaks at 410 and 440 nm with PL intensities decreasing after vacuum annealing, probably due to vacancy defects in Si nanocrystals; and (ii) the spectrum in the range 520–700 nm, consisting of a characteristic peak at 550 nm with a PL intensity not affected by vacuum annealing, probably due to Ge-related interfacial defects. No size dependence of PL peak energy expected from quantum confinement effects was observed in the wavelength range investigated. However, with an increase of crystal size, the PL peak intensity in the blue zone decreased. The PL intensity is found to be strongly affected by silicon concentration. A film heated in air has a different PL mechanism from the as-deposited and vacuum-annealed films.