[Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence Property Studies of SiN(x) Films with nc-Si]

Silicon nitride (SiN(x)) films containing nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) were deposited on crystalline silicon substrate by facing-target sputtering technique. Thermal annealing process was performed at 450 degrees C for 50 min in a conventional furnace under FG(10% H2, 90% N2) ambient. The photoluminescece (PL) properties of the SiN(x) films with nc-Si were investigated by steady/transient PL spectra measurements by Fluorescence spectrometer with different temperatures. The PL processes could be attributed to the quantum confinement effect of nc-Si and the defects in the film. The PL peak position exhibits a small blue shift with the increasing of the excitation energy, which indicates that the PL portion of the nc-Si increased with smaller size. In addition, the PL lifetime increases and the PL intensity exhibits exponential increase as a result of the decreased temperature which supressed the nonradiative recombination process and then improved the radiative recombination. The PL lifetime of the film significantly reduces with the decreasing of the detection wavelength, which indicates that the PL process related to the the quantum confinement effect strongly depends on temperature.