Room temperature oxidation kinetics of Si nanoparticles in air, determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The air oxidation kinetics of low coverages of similar to5 nm Si nanoparticles, deposited by pulsed excimer laser ablation (KrF, 248 nm) in He, have been characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A simple model, based on the evolution of the Si 2p spectral components during oxidation, has been developed to determine the nanoparticle oxide thickness. It is found that the short-term oxide thickness is greater, and the long-term room-temperature air oxidization rate of these nanoparticles is less, than those reported for bulk a-Si and c-Si. The results are also consistent with an earlier transmission electron microscope observation of the oxidation of larger Si particles at higher temperatures. The greater short-term oxide thickness may be attributed to surface defects on the prepared Si nanoparticles, and lower long-term oxidation rate is due to the nonlinear decrease of oxygen diffusion in spherical systems. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.