Strong and stable photoluminescence from sputtered silicon nanoparticles

Abstract

Silicon nanoparticles have been prepared by means of direct dc sputtering of the silicon material onto the liquid nitrogen-cooled surface of the stainless-steel trap. By periodically harvesting the deposits followed by ultrasonic agitation in 2-propanol it was possible to produce nanometre-size silicon crystals of less than 10 nm in diameter, and in which the silicon particle surfaces were barely oxidized. XPS measurements of the samples so prepared revealed that the oxidation states of their surface layers were changed in different significant ways when the as-prepared sample was annealed in air or in a vacuum. However, all these chemical changes have very little effect on the photoluminescence level of the samples. Its intensity remains strong and stable in the region of 300-550 nm, both before and after annealing either in the atmosphere or in an ultra-high vacuum at up to 500°C and for up to 6 h. Moreover, the photoluminescence intensity stays constant even after the samples were aged in the atmosphere at room temperature (300 K) for 22 days. The photoluminescence stability of our silicon nanoparticles, regardless of changes in their surface chemical structure, enhances their conduciveness for commercial applications.