Study on phase separation in a-SiO x for Si nanocrystal formation through the correlation of photoluminescence with structural and optical properties

► We study the phase separation in a-SiO x for the formation of Si nanocrystals. ► The phase separation includes two separate processes that should be distinguished. ► The precipitated Si atoms exist first as amorphous Si clusters and then crystallize. ► The structural and optical properties and the PL features depend on annealing process. The phase separation in amorphous silicon suboxide (a-SiO x ) films upon thermal annealing for the formation of light emitting silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) was studied through the correlation of photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) with structural and optical properties. The PL and PLE features and the structural and optical properties show a strong dependence on the annealing process and reveal that the precipitation of the excess Si in a-SiO x and the formation of Si-NCs from the precipitated Si are two separate processes which should be distinguished in the phase separation in a-SiO x . They proceed at different temperatures and the formation of Si-NCs is a slow process compared with the precipitation of the excess Si. The nanocrystal size and size distribution evolve with annealing time at the initial stages and are mainly dependent on annealing temperature for a certain O content in the initial a-SiO x with the density of the formed Si-NCs increasing with longer annealing duration.