Study of the influence of NH3 flow rates on the structure and photoluminescence of silicon-nitride films with silicon nanoparticles

Silicon-nitride films with silicon nanoparticles have been prepared at 300 °C by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using mixtures of H2, Ar and SiH2Cl2 and various NH3 flow rates. The films were characterized by means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, single wavelength ellipsometry, high-resolution transmission electronic microscopy, atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. It was found a chemical stability as well as an increase in the photoluminescence signal for those films with the greatest amount of NH3. The increase in the photoluminescence signal is due to a quantum confinement effect produced by the nanoparticles, which were formed during the filmʹs preparation process.