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Study of the Interface Layers Between Si Nanoparticles and SiO 2 Matrix Deposited by e‐Gun Evaporation
Author(s) -
Pivac Branko,
Dubček Pavo,
Dasović Jasna,
Zorc Hrvoje,
Bernstorff Sigrid
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.201700633
Subject(s) - grazing incidence small angle scattering , materials science , annealing (glass) , photoluminescence , nanoparticle , scattering , small angle x ray scattering , nanotechnology , crystallography , chemical engineering , optoelectronics , optics , composite material , chemistry , inelastic scattering , physics , x ray raman scattering , engineering
The structural properties of Si nanoparticles (NPs) formed for application in advanced solar cells are explored. A superstructure consisting of Si NPs is formed after annealing of SiO 2 /Si‐based multilayers. The structural properties are explored by GISAXS/GIWAXS and photoluminescence analysis. Both the GISAXS and GIWAXS techniques are simultaneously used to obtain the size and shape of the grown objects, and in addition the GISAXS patterns are analyzed using the Porod theory to obtain information on the Si NPs/matrix interface. The GIWAXS analysis of multilayers with Si layer thickness of 2 or 4 nm confirms that in both cases already after annealing at only 900 °C crystalline particles are created, GISAXS reveals that depending on the initial thickness of the deposited Si layer (2 or 4 nm), the NPs formed after annealing have either sphere‐like (2 nm Si layer) or a combination of sphere and oblate‐like shapes (4 nm). The photoluminescence results support the assumption that the formed defect layer at the Si NP/matrix interface is dominantly responsible for the light emission. We further analyze the GISAXS data in the light of the Porod theory and the results support the model that the formed NPs are surrounded by a defected layer.