Defect versus nanocrystal luminescence emitted from room temperature and hot-implanted SiO2 layers

Silicon nanocrystals have been synthesized in SiO₂ matrix using Si ion implantation. Si ions were implanted into 300-nm-thick SiO₂ films grown on crystalline Si at energies of 30–55 keV, and with doses of 5×10¹⁵, 3×10¹⁶, and 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻². Implanted samples were subsequently annealed in an N₂ ambient at 500–1100°C during various periods. Photoluminescence spectra for the sample implanted with 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻² at 55 keV show that red luminescence (750 nm) related to Si-nanocrystals clearly increases with annealing temperature and time in intensity, and that weak orange luminescence (600 nm) is observed after annealing at low temperatures of 500°C and 800°C. The luminescence around 600 nm becomes very intense when a thin SiO₂ sample is implanted at a substrate temperature of 400°C with an energy of 30 keV and a low dose of 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻². It vanishes after annealing at 800°C for 30 min. We conclude that this luminescence observed around 600 nm is caused by some radiative defects formed in Si-implanted SiO₂.     

VIOLET LIGHT-EMISSION FROM Ge+-IMPLANTED SiO2 FILMS ON Si SUBSTRATE

Germanium ions were implanted into SiO₂ films which were thermally grown on crystalline Si at an energy of 60 keV and with doses of 1×10¹⁵ and 1×10¹⁶ cm^-2.Under an ultraviolet excitation of ～5.0 eV,the implanted f ilms annealed at various temperatures exhibit intense violet luminescence with a peak at 396 nm.It is ascribed to the T₁→S₀ transition in GeO,which was formed during implantation and annealing process.     

Electrochemical study of the silver-sodium substitution in a borosilicate glass

The study of the silver for sodium ions substitution kinetics is carried out using an electrochemical set-up. A silver metal anode, a reference and counter electrode are deposited as thin films on a 0.6 SiO₂-0.2 B₂O₃-0.2 Na₂O glassy electrolyte. The anode dissolution is studied by a chronoamperometric method. The generally proposed interdiffusion models assuming constant diffusion coefficients for both Ag⁺ and Na⁺ cations are not able to justify the experimental voltage time dependence. The deviation from theoretical predictions can be minimised by assuming a mixed cation effect in the glass, taking into account a concentration dependence of the Ag⁺ and Na⁺ diffusion coefficients.     

Ionic conduction and dielectric relaxation in Ag/Na ion-exchanged aluminosilicate glasses: mixed mobile ion effect and KWW relaxation

Ag⁺/Na⁺ ion-exchanged aluminosilicate glasses with uniform concentration profiles were prepared, and their electrical conductivities were investigated as functions of the ion-exchange ratio and the initial glass compositions. In the case of the ion-exchanged glasses of x20Ag₂O–(1−x)20Na₂O–10Al₂O₃–70SiO₂ in mol%, the conductivity, σ, and its activation energy, E_σ, showed a minimum and a maximum at the same ion-exchange ratio x=0.3, respectively, and the mixed mobile ion effect (MMIE) was observed. The fully ion-exchanged sample attained σ=3.5×10⁻⁵ S/cm at 200 °C, which was 1.5 orders of magnitude larger than that of initial glass. In the case of x25Ag₂O–(1−x)25Na₂O–25Al₂O₃–50SiO₂, the mixed mobile ion effect was also observed at x=0.5. The maximum conductivity of 2×10⁻⁴ S/cm at 200 °C was obtained in the fully ion-exchanged glass sample.

The electric relaxation analysis was also conducted on both systems, and Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) fractional exponent β was obtained as a function of x. The decrease of β was observed near x≈0.3 in the former system, while that of the later system was independent of the ion-exchange ratio. Based on the structural analysis results, the observed behaviors were investigated from the point of view of the occupation of Ag⁺ ions on the non-bridging oxygen-site (NBO-site) and the charge compensation-site (CC-site) of AlO₄ tetrahedral unit.     

Evolution of step-terrace structure at Si–SiO2 interface in SIMOX substrate during annealing

The step-terrace structures at the interface between the Si layer and the buried SiO₂ layer of a Separation by IMplanted OXygen substrate has been observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) after removing the SiO₂ and Si layers. The time evolution of the Si–SiO₂ interface roughness during high-temperature annealing was analyzed by the scaling analysis of AFM data. The correlation length exhibited a nice correspondence to the size of square domain structures. Decreasing in the index of the length scale indicates that the growth mechanism changes as the annealing proceeds.     

The effect of annealing under hydrostatic pressure on the visible photoluminescence from si-ion implanted SiO2 films

We have studied the influence of the hydrostatic pressure during annealing on the intensity of the visible photoluminescence (PL) from thermally grown SiO₂ films irradiated with Si⁺ ions. Post-implantation anneals have been carried out in an Ar ambient at temperatures T_a of 400°C and 450°C for 10 h and 1130°C for 5 h at hydrostatic pressures of 1 bar–15 kbar. It has been found that the intensity of the 360, 460 and 600 nm PL peaks increases with rising hydrostatic pressure during low-temperature annealing. The intensity of the short-wavelength PL under conditions of hydrostatic pressure continues to rise even at T_a=1130°C. Increasing T_a leads to a shift in the PL spectra towards the ultraviolet range. The results obtained have been interpreted in terms of enhanced, pressure-mediated formation of ≡Si–Si≡ centres and small Si clusters within metastable regions of the ion-implanted SiO₂.     

Residence time and charge state of silver and zinc ions generatedfrom microsecond vacuum arcs

One mm vacuum gaps with silver or zinc needle-cathode were fired by a 13 μs duration sinusoidal arc or a 9 μs duration exponentially decaying arc. Time-of-flight (TOF) ion measurements were made at variable ion extraction times after the arc ignition to measure the charge state and residence time of the ions. Ag⁺, Ag⁺⁺ and Ag⁺⁺⁺ ions were generated from silver cathode and Zn⁺ and Zn⁺⁺ were generated from zinc cathode. Residual gas atom ions were generated together with the metal ions. Residence times of silver and zinc ions at the acceleration space, which was 15-25 mm apart from the needle cathode, were 5 μs and 17 μs, respectively, regardless the waveform of the arc current. Charge state fractions of silver and zinc ions were determined from the TOF ion currents and were compared with the results by other researchers     

High temperature reaction and defect chemistry at the Si/SiO2 interface

The generation of structural and electrical defects in Si/SiO₂ structures upon high temperature annealing by the oxide decomposition reaction Si+SiO₂→2SiO ↑ has been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ramped current-voltage measurements. The SiO decomposition is nucleated at crystalline defects in the substrate and results in the formation of voids in the oxide. The voids grow laterally with annealing time, independent of the nature of the defect. Prior to the formation of physical voids in the oxide, defects become electrically active, leading to low field dielectric breakdown. The breakdown degradation is prevented when the O₂ pressure in the annealing ambient is sufficient to reverse the decomposition reaction by reoxidizing the SiO product at the interface.     

Substrate temperature dependence of the photoluminescence efficiency of co-sputtered Si/SiO2 layers

Si particles embedded in an SiO₂ matrix were obtained by co-sputtering of Si and SiO₂ at various deposition temperatures T_d (200–700°C) and annealing at different temperatures T_a (900–1100°C). The systems were characterized by X-ray photoelectron, Raman scattering, infrared absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy techniques. The results show that the photoluminescence efficiency is strongly dependent on the degree of phase separation between the Si nanocrystals and the SiO₂ matrix. This is likely connected with the Si/SiO₂ interface characteristics, together with the features indicating the involvement of quantum confinement.     

Photoluminescence and paramagnetic defects in silicon-implanted silicon dioxide layers

Thermally grown SiO₂ layers on Si substrates implanted with Si⁺ ions with a dose of 6×10¹⁶ cm⁻² were studied by the techniques of photoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and low-frequency Raman scattering. Distinct oxygen-vacancy associated defects in SiO₂ and non-bridging oxygen hole centers were identified by EPR. The luminescence intensity in the 620 nm range was found to correlate with the number of these defects. The low-frequency Raman scattering technique was used to estimate the average size of the Si nanocrystallites formed after the implantation and thermal annealing at T>1100°C, which are responsible for the photoluminescence band with a maximum at 740 nm. The intensity of this band can be significantly enhanced by an additional treatment of the samples in a low-temperature RF plasma.     

Band bending at the Si(1 1 1)–SiO2 interface induced by low-energy ion bombardment

Experiments employing photoreflectance spectroscopy have uncovered band bending due to electrically active defects at the Si(1 1 1)–SiO₂ interface after sub-keV Ar⁺ ion bombardment. The band bending of about 0.5 eV resembles that for Si(1 0 0)–SiO₂, and both interfaces exhibit two kinetic regimes for the evolution of band bending upon annealing due to defects healing. The healing takes place about an order of magnitude more quickly at the (1 1 1) interface, however, probably because of less fully saturated bonding and higher compressive stress.     

Amorphous Si/insulator multilayers grown by vacuum deposition and electron cyclotron resonance plasma treatment

a-Si/insulator multilayers have been deposited on (0 0 1) Si by electron gun Si evaporation and periodic electron cyclotron resonance plasma oxidation or nitridation. Exposure to an O or N plasma resulted in the formation of a thin SiO₂ and SiN_x layer whose thickness was self-limited and controlled by process parameters. For thin-layer (2 nm) Si/SiO₂ and Si/SiN_x multilayers no visible photoluminescence (PL) was observed in most samples, although all exhibited weak “blue” PL. For the nitride multilayers, annealing at 750°C or 850°C induced visible PL that varied in peak energy with Si layer thickness. Depth profiling of a-Si caps on thin insulating layers revealed no detectable contamination for the SiN_x layers, but substantial O contamination for the SiO₂ films.     

Yb3+,Er3+双掺上转换玻璃陶瓷

制备了以PbF₂+GeO₂+WO₃SiO₂+NaF为基质组分的Yb³⁺,Er³⁺双掺稀土离子上转换发光玻璃陶瓷。采用日本产Hitachi F-4500荧光光度计,激发波长为980nm,观测到样品在550nm处出现较强的上转换发光峰,在528nm处有一个次发光峰,在650nm处有一个相对较弱的发光峰,讨论了发射光谱的特征,建立上转换发光机制,并讨论了上转换发光特征,以及基质成分、制备工艺参数、稀土离子浓度对发光性能的影响。实验中发现c(Yb³⁺):c(Er³⁺)为5:1时,上转换玻璃陶瓷的熔融温度为950℃、退火温度为380℃时,其上转换发光效率最高。     

1.54 μm Emission of pulsed-laser deposited Er-doped films on Si

We investigate the photoluminescence properties of Er-doped SiO₂ and glass films fabricated by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) for different deposition parameters and erbium host materials. The luminescence yield of SiO₂ : Er films increases strongly with increasing oxygen background pressure during laser ablation. We compare SiO₂ and soda-lime glass as host materials for erbium ions. Under identical growth conditions and the same erbium concentrations in both targets, films deposited from the soda-lime glass show a much higher luminescence yield. This enhancement is attributed to a higher concentration of optically active erbium in the multicomponent glass environment.     

A new method to determine Si/SiO2 interface recombination parameters using a gate-controlled point-junction diode under illumination

A new method is presented to determine Si/SiO₂ interface recombination parameters. The device employed is constituted by a polysilicon-oxide-semiconductor capacitor with a microscale central junction (a gate-controlled point-junction diode). The excess minority carriers are photo-generated rather than being injected, which results in a one-dimensional current flow normal to the Si/SiO₂interface. The minority carrier quasi-Fermi level is probed at the Si/SiO₂ interface by means of the point junction. The one-dimensionality of the current flow and the exact knowledge of the minority carrier quasi-Fermi level permit an accurate measurement of the recombination rate. The method has been applied to characterize p-type 100 Si/SiO₂ interfaces with boron dopant concentrations ranging from 2.2×10¹⁵ to 2.0×10¹⁷ cm^-3. Data analysis has been performed using a numerical scheme to find a quasi-exact solution for the current recombining at the interface. It was found that the interface recombination parameters (trap density and capture cross-sections) depend only weakly on trap energy in a wide range around midgap. The cross-section for capturing electrons (σ_n) was found to greatly exceed (by a factor of 10² to 10³) the cross-section for capturing holes (σ_p).     

纳米Si/SiO2多层膜的结构表征及发光特性

采用等离子体化学气相沉积系统生长非晶硅薄膜并用原位等离子体氧化的方法制备出具有不同子层厚度的非晶Si/SiO₂多层膜,然后利用限制性晶化原理使非晶硅层晶化生成纳米硅。利用Raman、TEM等手段对薄膜结构进行了系统表征,在室温下观测到了光致发光信号,其发光峰峰位在750nm附近。进而在样品上下表面蒸镀电极,构建了电致发光原型器件并观测到了室温下的电致发光谱,开启电压约为6V,有两个明显的发光带,分别位于在650nm和520nm处。初步探讨了纳米硅及纳米硅/二氧化硅界面态对发光特性的影响。     

Latent track creation in fused silica by 200 MeV silver beam

Studies of formation of latent tracks in swift heavy ion irradiated SiO₂ are presented. Fused silica (SiO₂) were irradiated with 200 MeV silver (Ag) ion beam at varying fluences. Radiation-induced effects were studied by ultraviolet(UV)/Visible optical absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV/Visible absorption study indicated E′ centers and oxygen deficiency centers having characteristic absorption occurred at 5 eV. The density of these color centers calculated from the absorption peak intensity showed Poisson-type variation with irradiation fluence. The defects are thus entirely confined to the latent tracks created by swift heavy ions in SiO₂. The track radius estimated from optical absorption study was found to be 5.1 nm. Similar results were obtained from TEM studies of the irradiated samples.     

Time-dependent response of interface states determined by using differential isothermal transient spectroscopy

A method based on the differential analysis of the isothermal transients is proposed to study the dynamical properties of the charging and discharging of interface states, and several possibilities of using this method are shown. The results obtained in SiO₂/Si and Si₃N₄/SiO₂/Si samples are in agreement with the existence of a spatial and energy distribution of interface states within the insulator. From the experimental data, the concentration of traps within the insulator at 35 Å is estimated to be 5×10⁹ cm^-2 eV^-1, with a tunneling cross section 10^-19 cm², at E_c-E ≈ 0.2 eV.     

THE INTERACTION OF Au AND THE Si/SiO2 INTERFACE DEFECT Hit(0.494)

The defects at the Si/SiO₂ interface have been studied by the deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) technique in p-type MOS structures with and without gold diffusion. The experimental results show that the interaction of gold and Si/SiO₂ interface defect,H_it(0.494), results in the formation of a new interface de-fect, Au-H_it(0.445). Just like the interface defect, H_it(0.494), the new interface defect possesses a few interesting properties, for example, when the gate voltage applied across the MOS structure reduces the energy interval between Fermi-level and Si valence band of the Si surface to values smaller than the hole ionization Gibbs free energy of the defect, a sharp DLTS peak is still observable; and the hole apparent activation energy increases with the decrease of the Si surface potential barrier height. These properties can be successfully explained with the transition energy band model of the Si/SiO₂ interface.     

A quantum chemical study of ZrO2 atomic layer deposition growth reactions on the SiO2 surface

Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) is one of the leading candidates to replace silicon oxide (SiO₂) as the gate dielectric for future generation metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) based nanoelectronic devices. Experimental studies have shown that a 1–3 monolayer SiO₂ film between the high permittivity metal oxide and the substrate silicon is needed to minimize electrical degradation. This study uses density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the initial growth reactions of ZrO₂ on hydroxylated SiO₂ by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The reactants investigated in this study are zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄) and water (H₂O). Exchange reaction mechanisms for the two reaction half-cycles were investigated. For the first half-reaction, reaction of gaseous ZrCl₄ with the hydroxylated SiO₂ surface was studied. Upon adsorption, ZrCl₄ forms a stable intermediate complex with the surface SiO₂–OH^* site, followed by formation of SiO₂–O–Zr–Cl^* surface sites and HCl. For the second half-reaction, reaction of H₂O on SiO₂–O–Zr–Cl^* surface sites was investigated. The reaction pathway is analogous to that of the first half-reaction; water first forms a stable intermediate complex followed by evolution of HCl through combination of a Cl atom from the surface site and an H atom from H₂O. The results reveal that the stable intermediate complexes formed in both half-reactions can lead to a slow film growth rate unless process parameters are adjusted to lower the stability of the complex. The energetics of the two half-reactions are similar to those of ZrO₂ ALD on ZrO₂ and as well as the energetics of ZrO₂ ALD on hydroxylated silicon. The energetics of the growth reactions with two surface hydroxyl sites are also described.