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Silicon-rich Al2O3 films (Six(Al2O3)1−x) were co-sputtered from two separate silicon and alumina targets onto a long silicon oxide substrate. The effects of different annealing treatments on the structure and light emission of the films versus x were investigated by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman scattering, and micro-photoluminescence (PL) methods. The formation of amorphous Si clusters upon the deposition process was found for the films with x ≥ 0.38. The annealing treatment of the films at 1,050°C to 1,150°C results in formation of Si nanocrystallites (Si-ncs). It was observed that their size depends on the type of this treatment. The conventional annealing at 1,150°C for 30 min of the samples with x = 0.5 to 0.68 leads to the formation of Si-ncs with the mean size of about 14 nm, whereas rapid thermal annealing of similar samples at 1,050°C for 1 min showed the presence of Si-ncs with sizes of about 5 nm. Two main broad PL bands were observed in the 500- to 900-nm spectral range with peak positions at 575 to 600 nm and 700 to 750 nm accompanied by near-infrared tail. The low-temperature measurement revealed that the intensity of the main PL band did not change with cooling contrary to the behavior expected for quantum confined Si-ncs. Based on the analysis of PL spectrum, it is supposed that the near-infrared PL component originates from the exciton recombination in the Si-ncs. However, the most intense emission in the visible spectral range is due to either defects in matrix or electron states at the Si-nc/matrix interface.

Abstract. We have established that mass-transport processes in two types of amorphous materials, based on light-sensitive inorganic compounds like Se and As 20 Se 80 chalcogenide glasses (ChG), can be enhanced at the nanoscale in the presence of localized plasmonic fields generated by visible light in gold nanoparticles (GNPs), if the condition of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is fulfilled. It was found that irradiation by light in the presence of SPR produces profound surface nanostructurizations, and variation in topography follows closely and permanently the underlying near field intensity pattern. We have proposed a model of mass-transport in which the existence of moving anisotropic dipolar units and internal electric field in ChG as a main driving force of this movement is suggested.

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