Structural and electroluminescent properties of Si quantum dots/SiC multilayers

Si quantum dots (QDs)/SiC multilayered structures were prepared by thermal annealing the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)/hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) multilayers. The microstructures of annealed samples were investigated by Raman scattering, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The size of formed Si QDs can be controlled by the a-Si:H layer thickness and annealing conditions. Room temperature electroluminescence (EL) was observed and the EL peak energy was shifted with the size of the Si QDs formed in the annealed multilayers, which can be attributed to quantum confinement effect in Si QDs. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.