MODELING THE CONTRIBUTION OF QUANTUM CONFINEMENT TO LUMINESCENCE FROMSILICON NANOCLUSTERS

We present a model for the luminescence spectrum of silicon nanocluste rs. We propose that the major contribution to luminescence is from rad iative recombination of confined excitons (quantum confinement). Utili zing the effective mass approximation we consider the variation in osc illator strength with cluster size and the associated change in the nu mber of available free carriers. By varying both the mean cluster size and size distribution of silicon nanoclusters, the luminescence spect ra are modeled to a good fit. We compare our model with experimental p hotoluminescence and electroluminescence data from this group and from others. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)00307- 7].