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PACS 68.55.Jk, 78.55.Hx, 78.66.Li, 81.15.Gh Very thin layers of Si were grown in between silicon nitride layers using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique and SiH 2 Cl 2 /H 2 /NH 3 mixtures. Deposition conditions were selected to favor Si cluster formation. Room Temperature Photoluminescence (RT-PL) and optical transmission in different ranges were used to evaluate the optical and structural properties of the films. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of the cross section of cleaved samples allowed to observe a clear pattern of Si clusters embedded in the SiN matrix. The UV-VIS absorption spectra present two band edges. We assume that the higher band gap is due to the amorphous Si clusters. RT-PL spectra are characterized by two broad bands: one centered at 1.5 eV and the other at 2.1 eV. The broad luminescence centered at 2.1 eV could be associated with the higher band gap observed in absorption spectrum. After vacuum annealing of the samples at 400 ºC, the band at 2.1 eV disappears.

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