Low-frequency Raman scattering from Si/Ge nanocrystals in different matrixes caused by acoustic phonon quantization

Si and Ge nanocrystals (nc-Si and nc-Ge) with average sizes in the range of 6 and 6.3 nm, embedded in SiO2/GeO2 matrix, were fabricated and their acoustic-phonon vibrational properties were investigated using two different approaches by considering the elastic continuum model and fixed boundary condition. The breathing and quadrupolar modes are found in the spectra. The presence of medium significantly affects the phonon peaks and results into the broadening of the modes which is more in the case of elastically similar materials. The phonon line width is found to depend inversely on the size, similar to that reported experimentally. Using first and second-order optical modes, the electron-phonon coupling strengths have been estimated. The result shows that e-p coupling strength is more in the case of elastically dissimilar materials. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4747933]