NANOCRYSTALLINE-SILICON SUPERLATTICE PRODUCED BY CONTROLLED RECRYSTALLIZATION

Nanocrystalline-silicon superlattices are produced by controlled recry stallization of amorphous-Si/SiO2 multilayers. The recrystallization i s performed by a two-step procedure: rapid thermal annealing at 600-10 00 degrees C, and furnace annealing at 1050 degrees C. Transmission el ectron microscopy, Raman scattering, x-ray and electron diffraction, a nd photoluminescence spectroscopy show an ordered structure with Si na nocrystals confined between SiO2 layers. The size of the Si nanocrysta ls is limited by the thickness of the cc-Si layer, the shape is nearly spherical, and the orientation is random. The luminescence from the n c-Si superlattices is demonstrated and studied. (C) 1998 American Inst itute of Physics.