Color control of white photoluminescence from carbon-incorporated silicon oxide

Abstract

Color control of the white photoluminescence (PL) from carbon-incorporated silicon oxide is demonstrated. The carbon-incorporated silicon oxide was fabricated by carbonization of porous silicon in acetylene flow (at 650 and 850 °C) followed by wet oxidation (at 650 and 800 °C). It was shown that PL color can be controlled in the range of blue-white and yellow-white by selecting the porosity of starting porous silicon as well as the carbonization and oxidation temperatures. Low-temperature oxidation resulted in bluish light emission in lower porosity series, while high-temperature oxidation promoted yellow-white light emission. The maximal integral intensity of PL was observed after oxidation at 800 °C. It was shown that white PL from carbon-incorporated silicon oxide has blue and yellow-white PL bands originating from different light-emitting centers. The origin of blue PL is attributed to defects in silicon dioxide. Some trap levels at the interface of the carbon clusters and silicon oxide are suggested to be the origin of the yellow-white light emission.

White light emission from amorphous silicon oxycarbide (a-SiCxOy) thin films: Role of composition and postdeposition annealing

“…This behavior could be attributed to the existence of SiC x or SiC x O y nanoclusters, which have been proposed as the luminescence source in C-doped silicon oxides. 11 If the average size of SiC x clusters becomes smaller when annealed in O 2 , and as expected from quantum confinement effect, photon energies of associated optical transitions would blueshift. But oxidation of SiC x is unlikely to occur as low as 500°C, due to the strength of Siu C bonds.…”

Electroluminescent properties of Tb-doped carbon-enriched silicon oxide

“…By analogy with Refs. [20] and [21] and our PL results described in the previous part, the origin of the broad EL band in our structure can be attributed to radiative transitions of the electronic states associated with C SiO  bonds or carbon nanoclusters. Additionally, some contribution of the light emission associated with the excitation of non-bridging oxygen hole centers can be expected around 620 nm [24].…”

“…The nature of the wide broad PL band is unclear up to date. But it can be suggested that in green-red region the PL can be associated with amorphous carbon nanoclusters [19,20] and/or carbon-related defects [21]. Some part of the PL band in blue region could be attributed to luminescence from defects located in silicon dioxide matrix such as neutral oxygen vacancies [22].…”

“…Our previous study by using the Raman scattering technique of this kind samples after low-temperature oxidation above 600°C [20] …”

Photoluminescent properties of oxidized stochiometric and carbon-rich amorphous Si1-xCx:H films

“…Recently, it has been demonstrated that carbon incorporated silicon oxide nanostructured materials exhibit a strong white photoluminescence (PL). Intriguing is that white PL was demonstrated by SiOC materials fabricated by quite different methods, namely: SiOC thin films deposited by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) [1], atmospheric pressure microplasma jet deposition [2], magnetron sputtering deposition [3], C + implantation into SiO 2 [4][5][6], chemical vapor deposition technique [7], carbonization/oxidation of porous silicon [8,9], sol-gel method [10].…”