Physical mechanism for photon emissions from group-IV-semiconductor quantum-dots in quartz-glass and thermal-oxide layers

We experimentally studied the influence of both impurity density and dangling-bond density on PL emissions from group-IV-semiconductor quantum-dots (IV-QDs) of Si and SiC fabricated by hot-ion implantation technique, to improve the PL intensity (I PL) from IV-QDs embedded in two types of insulators of quartz-glass (QZ) with low impurity density and thermal-oxide (OX) layers. First, we verified the I PL reduction in the IV-QDs in QZ. However, we demonstrated the I PL enhancement of IV-QDs in doped QZ, which is attributable to multiple-level emission owing to acceptor and donor ion implantations into QZ. Secondly, we confirmed the large I PL enhancement of IV-QDs in QZ and OX, owing to forming-gas annealing with H2/N2 mixed gas, which are attributable to the reduction of the dangling-bond density in IV-QDs. Consequently, it is possible to improve the I PL of IV-QDs by increasing impurity density and reducing dangling-bond density.