Ge Nanocrystal Formed Directly by High-Dose-Ion-Implantation and the Related UV-VIS Photoluminescence

The investigation of nanocrystalline Ge (nc-Ge) directly prepared with high dose Ge ion implantation of 1×1016, 1×1017, 5×1017 and 1×1018cm−2 respectively without subsequent annealing is presented in this paper. The specimens were measured by means of GIXRD, LRS and PL. The results show the nc-Ge, which possesses strong compressive stress, can be fabricated when the implanting dose of Ge ions is over the threshold dose-~1× 1017cm−2. The content and size of nc-Ge will enlarge with increasing dose. The nc-Ge formation mechanism may be the Ge atoms in the amorphous Ge (a-Ge) clusters, which are formed through the aggregation of implanted Ge ions, obtain energy from the instant local annealing zone induced by the incident Ge ion and reconstruct to nc-Ge existing in a-Ge clusters. The PL results indicate the strong PL peaks centered at about 295, 400 and 570 nm can be observed in implanted samples. The intensity of these PL peaks increases with increasing dose. The related PL mechanism in Ge-ion-implanted SiO2 film has also been discussed.