Roles of interfaces in nanostructured silicon luminescence

The increasing interest in photonics in the field of communication has led to intense research work on silicon based nanostructures showing efficient photoluminescence. The present paper reports photoluminescence measurements obtained at room temperature in silicon-rich-silica-silica multilayers grown by reactive magnetron sputtering. The silicon nanograin size is controlled via the silicon layer thickness which can be monitored with high accuracy. We aim to develop a comprehensive understanding of the combined roles played by the quantum confinement effect through the silicon grain size and the existence of an interfacial region between the grain and the surrounding silica matrix. Two bands of photoluminescence are displayed in the 600 nm-900 nm range and correspond to the bands previously observed at 2 K. Their origin is demonstrated through a model based on the solution of the Schrodinger equation of the exciton wavefunction in a one-dimension geometry corresponding to the growth direction of the multilayers. The silicon layer as well as the Si-SiO2 interface thicknesses are the key parameters of the photoluminescence features.