Properties of silicon doped silicon dioxide thin films deposited by Co-sputtering of silicon and silicon dioxide

The effect of annealing on silicon doped SiO, films was studied by X-ray diffraction, electron spin resonance (ESR) and Fourier transform photoluminescence (FTPL, 30 to 300 K). FTPL was not observed from as-deposited samples but annealed samples showed FTPL at room temperature centred at about 900 nm and also an anomalous variation of the FTPL intensity with temperature. ESR measurements showed the presence of g = 2.003 and g = 2.006 centres. The implications of the results will be discussed in the context that silicon crystallites were formed due to the annealing