Size control of erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals

This work describes the effects of pyrolysis oven length and erbium precurs or on the preparation of discrete erbium-doped silicon nanoparticles. These doped nanoparticles were prepared by the co-pyrolysis of disilane and the volatile complex Er(tmhd)(3) (tmhd=2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato). The particle sizes and size distributions were determined using high resol ution and conventional transmission electron microscopy. Erbium-doped silic on nanoparticles exhibit a selected area electron diffraction pattern consi stent with the diamond cubic phase and a distinctive dark contrast in the t ransmission electron microscope. The presence of erbium is confirmed by x-r ay energy dispersive spectroscopy. In general, the mean diameter of the ind ividual nanoparticles increases as the length of the pyrolysis oven used du ring their preparation is increased. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics . [S0003-6951(00)02537-7].