Silicon nanoparticles in thermally annealed thin silicon monoxide films

Thin vacuum-evaporated SiOx films with embedded Si nanoparticles are studied by applying spectral ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy. The Si nano-inclusions in the oxide matrix were formed by thermal annealing in argon at 700 and 1000 degrees C for 5 and 30min, respectively. The results have shown that during annealing the films undergo densification, and Si nano-clusters with averaged size of 3 nm are formed in amorphous phase at 700 degrees C and in crystalline phase at 1000 degrees C. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.