Dimensions of luminescent oxidized and porous silicon structures

X-ray absorption measurements from H-passivated porous Si and from oxidized Si nanocrystals, combined with electron microscopy, ir absorption, [alpha] recoil, and luminescence emission data, provide a consistent structural picture of the species responsible for the visible luminescence observed in these samples. The mass-weighted average structures in por-Si are particles, not wires, with dimensions significantly smaller than previously reported or proposed.