Size distribution of self assembled Ge nanocrystals determined by photoluminescence

2008 ◽  
Vol 1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Rowell ◽  
David Lockwood ◽  
Isabelle Berbezier ◽  
Pierre David Szkutnik ◽  
Antoine Ronda

AbstractGermanium nanocrystals (NCs) were formed by in-situ thermal annealing of an amorphous Ge layer deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on a thin SiO2 layer on Si(001). The Ge NCs were then capped in situ with a thin layer of amorphous Si to prevent oxidation. For the present range of particle sizes (2.5 to 60 nm), the NC photoluminescence (PL) appeared primarily as a wide near-infrared band peaked near 800 meV. The peak energy of the PL band reflects the average NC size and its shape depends on the NC size distribution. Using both the k·p and tight binding theoretical models, we have analyzed the PL spectrum in terms of the NC size distribution required to reproduce the observed asymmetric band shape, which includes, for the smaller diameter NCs, a band gap enlargement due to quantum confinement. The observed size distribution determined from transmission electron microscopy analysis allowed the determination of the nonlinear increase in the PL quantum efficiency with decreasing NC diameter. This implies that, given a good theoretical description of the system, it is possible to evaluate the size distribution of semiconductor NCs from their PL energy dependence.

2005 ◽  
Vol 862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Jung Lin ◽  
Yu-Lun Chueh ◽  
Li-Jen Chou ◽  
Hao-Chung Kuo ◽  
Gong-Ru Lin

AbstractLocalized synthesis of 3-8 nm Si nanocrystals (nc-Si) in PECVD-grown Si-rich SiO2 (SRSO) film is demonstrated using CO2 laser annealing at an intensity below the ablation-threshold (6.0 kW/cm2). At an optimized surface temperature of 1285°C, the precipitated nc-Si in CO2-laser-annealed SRSO film results in near-infrared photoluminescence (PL) at 806 nm, whereas the ablation damage induced at higher laser intensities as well as temperatures results in blue PL at 410 nm related to structural defects. The refractive index of the laser-annealed SRSO at 633 nm increases from 1.57 to 2.31 as the laser intensity increases from 1.5 to 6.0 kW/cm2. Transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals that the average size and volume density of Si nanocrystals embedded in the SRSO film are about 6 nm and 4.5×1016 cm-3, respectively. The CO2 laser annealing with controlled intensity and spot size can potentially accomplish in-situ, localized annealing of the SRSO film without causing irreversible damage to nearby electronics.


2020 ◽  
pp. 096739112092779
Author(s):  
P Manju ◽  
P Santhana Gopala Krishnan ◽  
SK Nayak

We report the in-situ synthesis of poly(lactic acid)–halloysite nanotubes (PLA-HNT) bionanocomposites, with a perspective to improve the interaction between PLA and HNT. Three PLA-HNT bionanocomposites with different HNT weight percentages were synthesized by polycondensation, followed by azeotropic distillation technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies indicated the existence of hydrogen bonding between terminal hydroxyl groups of PLA and Si–O–Si groups present in the outer surface of HNT. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, 29Si- and 27Al-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis confirmed the intercalation of PLA into HNT. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that there was no significant agglomeration and PLA matrix was found to be embedded with HNT. Transmission electron microscopy analysis also gave ample proof to substantiate the intercalation of PLA chains into HNT. Studies on zeta potential of PLA-HNT bionanocomposites, as compared with PLA, also confirmed the interactions between PLA and HNT. Single melting peak in differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated the existence of one form of crystalline structure.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 23679-23729 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. King ◽  
K. N. Bower ◽  
J. Crosier ◽  
I. Crawford

Abstract. Microphysical measurements collected during eleven profiles through marine stratocumulus as part of the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) are compared to collocated overpasses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellite platforms. The full depth of the cloud is sampled in each case using a Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) and a Two-Dimensional Stereo Probe (2DS) together sizing cloud and precipitation droplets in the diameter range 2-1260 μm. This allows the total optical depth (τc) of the cloud and effective radius (re) of the droplet size distribution to be compared to MODIS cloud retrievals of the same quantities along with the secondarily derived total liquid water path. When compared to the effective radius at cloud top, the MODIS retrieved re using the 2.1 μm wavelength channel overestimates the in situ measurements on average by 13% with the largest overestimations coinciding with the detection by the 2DS of drizzle sized droplets. We show through consideration of the full vertical profile and penetration depths of the wavelengths used in the retrieval that the expected retrieved values are less than those at cloud top thus increasing the apparent bias in re retrievals particularly when using the 1.6 and 2.1 μm channels, with the 3.7 μm channel retrievals displaying the best agreement with in situ values. Retrievals of τc also tend to overestimate in situ values which, coupled with a high bias in re retrievals, lead to an overestimation of liquid water path. There is little apparent correlation between the variation of the three near-infrared re retrievals and the vertical structure of the cloud observed in situ. Retrievals are performed using measured profiles of water vapour and temperature along with an accurate knowledge of the width of the droplet size distribution which improve agreement between in situ and retrieved values but cannot completely explain the observed biases. Additionally we show that cloud heterogeneity and three-dimensional radiative effects may high skew the mean when averaging over comparison domains but cannot explain all of the apparent high bias.


1999 ◽  
Vol 593 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Geohegan ◽  
A. A. Puretzky ◽  
X. Fan ◽  
M. A. Guillorn ◽  
M. L. Simpson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSingle-wall carbon nanotubes are formed by Nd:YAG laser vaporization of a graphite/(1 at. % Ni, 1 at. % Co) target into flowing argon (500 Torr) within a quartz tube furnace (1000 °C). Here, this process is investigated for the first time with time-resolved laser-induced luminescence imaging and spectroscopy of Co atoms, C2 and C3 molecules, and clusters. These measurements under actual synthesis conditions show that the plume of vaporized material is segregated and confined within a vortex ring which maintains a ˜1 cm3 volume for several seconds. Using time-resolved spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging, the time for conversion of atomic and molecular species to clusters was measured for both carbon (200 μs) and cobalt (2 ms). This rapid conversion of carbon to nanoparticles, combined with transmission electron microscopy analysis of the collected deposits, indicate that nanotube growth occurs during several seconds of time from a feedstock of mixed nanoparticles in the gas-suspended plume. Using these in situ diagnostics to adjust the time spent by the plume within the high-temperature zone, single-walled nanotubes of controlled length were grown at an estimated rate of 0.2 μm/s.


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