Optical emission from silicon-based SiO2 islands fabricated by anodic alumina templates

摘要

We have investigated the photoluminescence spectra of silicon-based nanoscale SiO2 islands obtained by anodization of silicon-based aluminum membranes in a 0.3m sulfuric acid solution under a constant voltage of 25 V. Two ultraviolet emission bands were observed at 290 and 370 nm. After annealing the samples in 900degreesC in O-2, the 290 nm band vanishes, but the 370 nm band still exists. We suggest that the 290 nm band originates from optical transition in the E-' centers in the SiO2 islands according to its annealing behavior. The 370 nm band is considered to be from Al-related luminescence centers, [AlO4](0), because a decrease of intensity of the 370 nm band is in agreement with that of amount of the Al ion impurities located in the SiO2 islands. This work shows a clear understanding of the light-emitting mechanism of silicon-based SiO2 island array. The obtained result can be expected to have important applications in modem optoelectronics. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.