Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence of amorphous silicon oxynitride

The cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence of amorphous silicon oxynitride (a-SiOxNy) films with different compositions were measured for the first time in the near infrared to visible-ultraviolet range. The red band with energy at 1.8-1.9 eV. blue band with energy 2.7 eV, ultraviolet bands with energies 3.1, 3.4-3.6, 4.4-4.7, and 5.4 eV were observed in a-SiOxNy. The 1.8-1.9 eV band is attributed to the oxygen and nitrogen atoms with unpaired electrons and the 2.7 eV band is attributed to twofold coordinated silicon atoms with two electrons. The 5.4 eV shoulder is due to the peroxy radicals and other ultraviolet bands are supposed to be due to the Si-Si bonds, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.