Nanocrystalline-silicon superlattice produced by controlled recrystallization

Abstract

Nanocrystalline-silicon superlattices are produced by controlled recrystallization of amorphous-Si/SiO2 multilayers. The recrystallization is performed by a two-step procedure: rapid thermal annealing at 600–1000 °C, and furnace annealing at 1050 °C. Transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, x-ray and electron diffraction, and photoluminescence spectroscopy show an ordered structure with Si nanocrystals confined between SiO2 layers. The size of the Si nanocrystals is limited by the thickness of the a-Si layer, the shape is nearly spherical, and the orientation is random. The luminescence from the nc-Si superlattices is demonstrated and studied.