Photoluminescent iron disilicide on modified Si surface by using silver

Abstract

Pronounced enhancement of photoluminescence (PL) intensity was observed from β-FeSi2 by using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on (100) Si substrates coated with a silver (Ag) layer. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed modifications to the crystal structure near the surface of Si, where the in-plane lattice parameter had been elongated, by Ag atomic diffusion from the surface to inside the Si during the heating process before deposition. This modified Si surface contributed to decreasing the non-radiative recombination centers at the β-FeSi2/Si interface and in the β-FeSi2 film, which led to the pronounced enhancement of PL intensity.

Luminescent iron disilicide film growth by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition

“…It has been reported that, during the heating process before β-FeSi 2 growth, Ag atomic diffusion from the surface to inside the Si modified to the crystal structure near the surface of Si, and reported on leading to the formation of the continuous β-FeSi 2 film. 21) Such techniques for the growth of the luminescent β-FeSi 2 continuous films are essential for the application to Si-based optoelectronic devices.…”

“…Moreover, Yamauchi et al reported that Ag is insoluble in β-FeSi 2 . 20) Based on this idea, we reported the epitaxial β-FeSi 2 film growth on the Si(100) substrates precoated with a Ag layer by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), showing the enhancement of PL spectrum intensity at 10 K. 21,22) In this study, we report on the PL intensity enhancement for the β-FeSi 2 grown on Si(111) substrates with a silver layer by optimizing growth temperature in the MOCVD method and on the PL observation at room temperature (285 K).…”

Enhancement of photoluminescence from iron disilicide on Si(111) substrates with Au layers by controlling microstructures

“…[10][11][12] Previous reports indicate that nonradiative recombination centers in β-FeSi 2 crystals and at heterointerfaces affect light emission efficiency. [13][14][15][16][17] Thus, decreasing the density of these centers will be critical for the application of this material to light-emitting devices. However, the existence of a metallic phase of α-FeSi 2 , which is a thermal equilibrium phase above 937 °C, has made it difficult to fabricate high-crystal-quality β-FeSi 2 from the melt.…”

Metal–organic chemical vapor deposition growth of β-FeSi2/Si composite powder via vapor–liquid–solid method and its photocatalytic properties

“…We previously reported the formation of β-FeSi 2 island grains with sizes of the order of 10 µm on gold (Au)-coated Si substrates, 11) while β-FeSi 2 films with high-crystal quality were formed by precoating a silver (Ag) layer on Si substrates. 12) In this paper, we report on a novel method of β-FeSi 2 grain growth via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method using the liquidus phase obtained by the Au-Si eutectic reaction during metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The β-FeSi 2 island grains of a few hundred nanometers in diameter were fabricated on the surface of Si powder by this novel method.…”