Ge/Si Core/Shell Quantum Dots in an Alumina Matrix: Influence of the Annealing Temperature on the Optical Properties

Structures with Ge/Si nanoparticles (quantum dots) in an aluminum-oxide matrix are of interest due to the combination of two basic semiconductors and the use of a matrix with a high permittivity and strong oxygen–metal bonding. In this study, multilayer nanoperiodic structures in the form of a substrate/Al2O3/Ge/Si/Al2O3…Al2O3 sequence of layers (with the period Al2O3/Ge/Si and the number of periods up to 20) are produced and then annealed at different temperatures. It is shown that, after annealing, the structures contain both Ge and Si crystalline particles, whose dimensions and number are defined by the deposited-layer thicknesses and the annealing temperature. The results obtained by different optical techniques suggest that the structures exhibit the quantum-confinement effect. This inference is supported by high-resolution microscopy.