Recombination and binding energies of excitons in nanocrystalline sili
con quantum dots are calculated within the effective mass approximatio
n including the effects of the induced electrostatic polarization. The
calculated exciton recombination energies compare well with other cal
culations and with the results from photoluminescence measurements in
porous silicon. The calculated exciton binding energies are far larger
than the bulk exciton binding energy and show substantial dependence
on the matrix that surrounds the nanocrystallites. A model is proposed
that explains the main orange-red. blue and infrared luminescence pea
ks of porous silicon within a simple unified framework. (C) 1997 Acade
mic Press Limited.