Formation of Ge nanoparticles in SiO{sub x}N{sub y} by ion implantation and thermal annealing

Journal Article · Wed Oct 21 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4933396· OSTI ID:22492824

Kremer, F.; Feng, R.; Ridgway, M. C. ^[1]; Sprouster, D. J. ^[2]; Araujo, L. L. ^[3]; Glover, C. J. ^[4]

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1. Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra 0200 (Australia)
2. Nuclear Science and Technology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)
3. Laboratório de Implantação Iônica, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970 (Brazil)
4. Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Melbourne (Australia)

Germanium nanoparticles embedded within dielectric matrices hold much promise for applications in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Here we investigate the formation of Ge nanoparticles in amorphous SiO{sub 1.67}N{sub 0.14} as a function of implanted atom concentration and thermal annealing temperature. Using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and other complementary techniques, we show Ge nanoparticles exhibit significant finite-size effects such that the coordination number decreases and structural disorder increases as the nanoparticle size decreases. While the composition of SiO{sub 1.67}N{sub 0.14} is close to that of SiO{sub 2}, we demonstrate that the addition of this small fraction of N yields a much reduced nanoparticle size relative to those formed in SiO{sub 2} under comparable implantation and annealing conditions. We attribute this difference to an increase in an atomic density and a much reduced diffusivity of Ge in the oxynitride matrix. These results demonstrate the potential for tailoring Ge nanoparticle sizes and structural properties in the SiO{sub x}N{sub y} matrices by controlling the oxynitride stoichiometry.

• OSTI ID: 22492824
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 118; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ANNEALING
COORDINATION NUMBER
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
GERMANIUM
NANOPARTICLES
SILICON OXIDES
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY