| MSC Student
Université du Québec
Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications
1650, boulevard Lionel-Boulet
Varennes, Québec, Canada
J3X 1S2
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Recently much work had been dedicated to research into silicon nanocrystals
and their optical properties due to quantum confinement effects. Silicon
is ubiquitous in the electronics industry but features an indirect band-gap
in bulk which is not conducive to light absorption or production. Silicon
nanocrystals on the other hand are known to exhibit significant photoluminescence
where the emitted wavelength is proportional to the nanocrystals dimensions.
These nanostructured materials have been investigated for use in waveguides
and various photovoltaic devices where luminescence either originates
from, or is enhanced by the presence of nanocrystals. A number of synthesis
methods have been demonstrated and explored for example, chemical vapour
deposition, molecular beam epitaxy and co-sputtering. Reactive pulsed
laser deposition in particular represents a flexible approach to nanocrystal
synthesis which results in silicon nanocrystals with minimal size distribution
embedded in an amorphous silicon oxide matrix. Because of the flexibility
of the method, PLD is a useful tool for investigations both into the luminescent
and non- luminescent recombination mechanisms involved and into the optimisation
of fabrication procedures for nanostructured optical devices.
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