Light-emitting nano-porous silicon structures fabricated using a plasma hydrogenation technique

The preparation of porous silicon films by DC-plasma hydrogenation and subsequent annealing of amorphous silicon films on silicon and glass substrates is reported for the first time. The effects of varying plasma power and annealing temperatures have been investigated and characterized by scanning-electron microscopy, transmission-electron microscopy, and photoluminescence. A plasma density of about 5.5 W/m2 and hydrogenation-annealing temperatures of about 400 °C was found to be suitable for the formation of nano-crystalline silicon films with grain diameters of the order of 3–10 nm. The intensity and wavelength of the emitted visible light were found to depend on the hydrogenation and annealing conditions, and patterning of the silicon films using standard lithography allowed the creation of light-emitting patterns.