Embedded Silicon Nanocrystals Studied by Photoluminescence and Raman Spectroscopies: Exciton and Phonon Confinement Effects

The optical and vibrational properties of silicon nanocrystals are studied in two systems elaborated by evaporation. The first one is constituted by a thick SiO layers. The second one is a multilayered sample made by successive evaporations of SiO and SiO2 layers with controlled thicknesses. The luminescence and Raman spectra are fitted by phenomenological exciton and phonon confinement models accounting for the size distribution of the embedded nanocrystals. The coherence between the two models and experimental data is demonstrated and gives support to the notion of exciton and phonon confinement effect in silicon nanocrystals embedded within silica matrix.