J. P. Wilcoxon and G. A. Samara Crystalline, size-selected Si nanocrystals in the size range 1.8-10 nm grown in inverse micellar cages exhibit highly structured optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) across the visible range of the spectrum. The most intense PL for the smallest nanocrystals produced This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. to induce a useful level of visible photoluminescence (PL) from silicon (Si). The approaches understood. Visible PL has been observed from Si nanocrystals, or quantum dots, produced by a variety of techniques including aerosols,2 colloids,3 and ion implantation.4 However, all of The optical absorption spectra of our nanocrystals are much richer in spectral features spectrum of bulk Si where the spectral features reflect the details of the band structure shown in nanocrystals estimated to have a Si core diameter of 1-2 nm. These measured quantum those in the spectrum of bulk Si in Fig. 1 are striking indicating that nanocrystals of this size 8-Room temperature PL results on an HPLC size-selected, purified 2 nm nanocrystals but blue shifted by -0.4 eV due to quantum confinement. Excitation at 245 nm yields the PL shows the PL spectrum for a similar sample excited at 490 nm (2.53 eV) trapped excitons at the surface of Si nanocrystals. The excitons are obtained for dimer bonds 1.8- 10 nm. These nanocrystals retain bulk-like optical absorption and an indirect bandgap Figure 1. The absorption spectrum of d = 2 nm Si nanocrystals compared to that of bulk7 Si. Figure 2. The extinction and PL (excitation at 490 nm) spectra ford= 8-10 nm Si nanocrystals.
