Study of structural and optical properties of a dual-band material based on tin oxides and GeSiSn compounds

[Display omitted] •The oxidation process of polycrystalline (β-Sn) tin films on Si during the annealing was investigated.•The intense glow at the photogeneration point was seen in green from nanostructured SnO film.•Using the VLS mechanism, the dual-band material based on the nanoislands SnO(x) and the SiSn solid solution was obtained.•Sn-rich islands on the silicon pedestals were epitaxial and oriented in the [100] growth direction.•The growth technology of the dual-band material including tin oxides and GeSiSn/Si MQW structure, was developed. The phase transitions during the oxidation of polycrystalline tin (β-Sn) were studied. The intense photoluminescence from SnO was observed in the annealing temperature range of 300–400 °C. An increase in the annealing temperature led to a sharp decrease in photoluminescence. It is associated with the phase transition of SnO to SnO2. Two approaches were proposed for obtaining the dual-band material based on tin oxides and GeSiSn compounds. Using the Sn-rich nanoislands grown on the vapor–liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, the nanoislands having SnO(x) in their upper part, and the SiSn solid solution under SnO(x) were obtained after annealing. Furthermore, the growth technology of the dual-band material, which included tin oxides on top of a GeSiSn/Si multiple quantum well (MQW) structure, was developed. Tin oxides demonstrated the photoluminescence signal in the visible region, whereas the SiSn solid solution in nanoislands and GeSiSn/Si multiple quantum well structure showed the photoluminescence signal in the infrared range.