title: Air-stable full-visible-spectrum emission from silicon nanocrystals synthesized by an all-gas-phase plasma approach.
abstract: A novel dual-plasma system has been developed to combine the synthesis of silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs), the etching to controllably tailor the Si-NC size, and the surface functionalization of Si-NCs into one simple all-gas-phase process. Si-NCs are synthesized in SiH(4)-based plasma; they then travel through CF(4)-based plasma, where Si-NCs are etched and passivated by C and F. The resulting Si-NCs exhibit air-stable emission across the full visible spectrum. Structural and optical characterization indicates that the emission in the red-to-green range is based on the recombination of quantum-confined excitons in Si-NCs, while the blue emission originates from defect states. The quantum yields of stabilized photoluminescence from Si-NCs range from 16% at the red end to 1% at the blue end.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Liptak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deneen Nowak
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kortshagen