On the origin of the 2.2-2.3 eV photoluminescence from chemically etched germanium

The photoluminescence (PL) at ∼2.2-2.3 eV from Ge-based nanocrystalline materials is described in the literature as nanocrystal size-independent. We have observed visible luminescence from two different types of stain-etched Ge samples, one prepared after Sendova-Vassileva et al. (Thin Solid Films 255 (1995) 282) in a solution of H₂O₂:HF at 50:1 volume ratio, and the other in a solution of HF:H₃PO₄:H₂O₂ at 34:17:1 volume ratio. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, and the near edge X-ray absorption structure (XANES), indicate that the chemically etched Ge layers of the former type of samples are composed of non-stoichometric Ge oxides, i.e. GeO_x (0<x<2), and free from any Ge nanoconstructions. It is also suggested from XANES that the latter type of chemically etched Ge samples comprise 8-9 nm nanocrystals of Ge, surface-covered with mainly oxygen. Photoluminescence occurred at ∼2.3 eV for all samples. The PL behavior of the latter type of chemically etched Ge on annealing in different chemical environments (air or H) allowed us to conclude that the PL from these materials, as well as that from those Ge-based nanocrystalline materials reported in the literature, is from GeO_xs.