Recombination of self-trapped excitons in silicon nanocrystals grown in silicon oxide

The kinetics of photoluminescence (PL) and steady-state PL from silicon nanocrystals formed in the SiO2 matrix by silicon ion implantation were studied experimentally for the first time in the temperature range from liquid-helium to room temperature. A dramatic increase in the photoluminescence decay time, accompanied by PL intensity quenching, is observed below 70 K. The results obtained indicate that the silicon nanocrystal PL arises from radiative recombination of excitons self-trapped at the silicon nanocrystal-SiO2 interface. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/ Interperiodica".