The origin of blue photoluminescence from nc-Si/SiO2multilayers

Intensive blue photoluminescence (PL) was observed at room temperature from the nanocrystalline-Si/SiO2 (nc-Si/SiO2) multilayers (MLs) obtained by thermal annealing of SiO/SiO2 MLs for the first time. By controlling the size of nc-Si formed in SiO sublayer from 3.5 to 1.5 nm, the PL peak blueshifts from 457 to 411 nm. Combining the analysis of TEM, Raman and absorption measurement, this paper attributes the blue PL to multiple luminescent centres at the interface of nc-Si and SiO2.