Silicon-rich silicon oxide thin films have been prepared by thermal evaporation of silicon monoxide in vacuum. The SiOx film composition (1.1⩽ x ⩽1.7) has been controlled by varying the deposition rate and residual pressure in the chamber. Long time stability of all films has been ensured by a postdeposition annealing at 523 K for 30 min in Ar atmosphere. Some films were further annealed at 973 K and some others at 1303 K. Raman scattering measurements have implied the formation of amorphous silicon nanoparticles in films annealed at 973 K and Si nanocrystals in films annealed at 1303 K. The latter conclusion is strongly supported by high resolution electron microscopy studies which show a high density of Si nanocrystals in these films. Photoluminescence has been observed from both amorphous and crystalline nanoparticles and interpreted in terms of band-to-band recombination in the nanoparticles having average size greater than 2.5 nm and carrier recombination through defect states in smaller nanoparticles.

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A series of ZnSe single layers having thickness between 30 nm and 1 µm was deposited on c-Si and glass substrates at room substrate temperature. Thermal evaporation of ZnSe powder in high vacuum has been applied. Moreover, SiO x /ZnSe periodic multilayers prepared by the same deposition technique and having ZnSe layer thickness of 2 and 4 nm have been studied. Raman spectra were measured at 295 K, using the 442 nm line of a He-Cd laser as well as different lines of the Ar + or Ar + /Kr + lasers. The observed Raman features have been related to multiple optical phonon (1LO to 4LO) light scattering and connected with the existence of randomly oriented crystalline ZnSe grains in both ZnSe single layers and ZnSe layers of the multilayers. Relatively large line width (≈ 15 cm −1 ) of the 1LO band has been observed and related to lattice distortion in the crystalline grains and existence of amorphous phase in the layers thinner than 100 nm. The Raman spectra measured on both ZnSe single layers and SiO x /ZnSe multilayers using the 488 nm line with a gradually increased laser beam power indicate an increased crystallinity at high irradiation levels.