Photoluminescence of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films

Abstract

We have studied structural, electrical and photoluminescence properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films with different crystalline volume fractions (from 0 – pristine amorphous silicon – to 55 %). The photoluminescence spectra of the films exhibit distinct features related to recombination in amorphous silicon (peak energy of about 1.35 eV) and in silicon nanocrystals (peak near 1.52 eV). When the crystalline volume fraction reached 55%, photoluminescence disappeared. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was proposed as a nondestructive method for determining of a small volume fraction of Si nanocrystals embedded in amorphous silicon.