In this article the luminescence properties of Si nanocrystals (nc) formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and their interaction with Er ions introduced by ion implantation are investigated in detail. Si nc with different size distributions and densities were produced and all show quite intense room temperature luminescence (PL) in the range 700–1100 nm. It is shown that the time-decay of the luminescence follows a stretched exponential function whose shape tends towards a single exponential for almost isolated nc. This suggests that stretched exponential decays are related to the energy transfer from smaller towards larger nc. Indeed, by comparing samples with similar nc size distributions, but with very different nc densities, it is demonstrated that the PL has a quite strong redshift in the high density case, demonstrating a clear energy redistribution within the sample. Excitation cross sections have been measured in all samples yielding a value of ∼1.8×10−16 cm2 for isolated nc excited with 2.54 eV photons. This effective excitation cross section is shown to increase by a factor of 4 in interacting nc as a result of the energy transfer within the sample. When Er ions are introduced in these samples a strong nc–Er interaction sets in and the energy is preferentially transferred from the nc to the Er ions. The nc-related luminescence is quenched and the Er-related luminescence at 1.54 μm appears. The effective excitation cross section of Er ions through Si nc has been determined to be ∼1.1×10−16 cm2. This number resembles the excitation cross section of nc themselves demonstrating that the coupling is extremely strong. Moreover, by increasing the Er content the effective excitation cross section is seen to increase. In the same concentration range the Er lifetime decreases demonstrating that “concentration quenching” effects, with the energy transferred among Er ions, are setting in. These Er–Er interactions are responsible for the effective increase of the cross section. However, since the increase in the cross section is related to a simultaneous decrease in lifetime the net effect for the luminescence efficiency is negative. The best Er content to take advantage of the sensitizer action of Si nc avoiding the detrimental Er–Er interactions has been determined to be ∼2×1020/cm3. These data are presented and their implications discussed.

Sensor-laden wearable systems that are capable of providing continuous measurement of key physiological parameters coupled with data storage, drug delivery and feedback therapy have attracted huge interest. Here we report a stretchable wireless system for sweat pH monitoring, which is able to withstand up to 53% uniaxial strain and more than 500 cycles to 30% strain. The stretchability of the pH sensor patch is provided by a pair of serpentine-shaped stretchable interconnects. The pH sensing electrode is made of graphite-polyurethane composite, which is suitable for biosensor application. The sensing patch validated through in-depth electrochemical studies, exhibits a pH sensitivity of 11.13 ± 5.8 mV/pH with a maximum response time of 8 s. Interference study of ions and analyte (Na, K and glucose) in test solutions shows negligible influence on the pH sensor performance. The pH data can be wirelessly and continuously transmitted to smartphone through a stretchable radio-frequency-identification antenna, of which the radiating performance is stable under 20% strain, as proved by vector network analyzer measurement. To evaluate the full system, the pH value of a human sweat equivalent solution has been measured and wirelessly transmitted to a custom-developed smart phone App.

In this study the structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline Si/SiO2 superlattices have been investigated and discussed. Ordered planar arrays of silicon nanocrystals (Si-nc) have been formed by thermal annealing of ten period amorphous Si/SiO2 superlattices prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Thermal processing of the superlattices results in well separated (by about 5 nm of SiO2) nanocrystalline Si layers, when the annealing temperature does not exceed 1200 °C. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of these layers have been studied in details. The PL peaks wavelength has been found to depend on the laser pump power; this intriguing dependence, consisting in a marked blueshift for increasing power, has been explained in terms of the longer lifetime characterizing larger Si-nc. It is also observed that these decay lifetimes exhibit a single exponential behavior over more than two orders of magnitude, in clear contrast with the typical, nonsingle exponential trends observed for Si-nc uniformly dispersed inside an insulating matrix. We attributed this peculiar behavior to the lack of interaction among nanocrystals, due to their large reciprocal distance. In agreement with the carrier quantum confinement theory, we have found that the wavelength of the PL peak can be properly tuned by changing the annealing temperature and/or the thickness of the Si layers of the superlattices, and, in turn, the Si-nc mean size. Moreover, the observed lifetimes remain very long (about 0.3 ms) even at room temperature, revealing the absence of relevant nonradiative decay processes in these samples. Furthermore, we have used the experimental PL intensities and decay times to evaluate the radiative rate as a function of the temperature; the obtained data are in good agreement with a model proposed by Calcott in the case of porous silicon. All of these data are presented, discussed, and explained within a consistent picture.

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A detailed investigation on the interaction mechanisms between Er ions and Si nanocrystals (nc) is reported. Silicon nc were produced by high-temperature annealing of substoichiometric SiOx thin films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Subsequently, some of the samples were implanted by Er. These samples show intense room-temperature luminescence at both 1.54 and 0.98 μm. High-resolution luminescence spectra of Er-implanted Si nc suggest that the emitting Er ions are located in the SiO2 or at the Si nc/SiO2 interface. The pump-power dependence and the time decay of the 1.54 μm emission in Si nc with different Er contents have evidenced the presence of several nonradiative decay processes due to Er–Er and Er–Si nc interactions. Moreover, the number of Er ions per Si nc is shown to be a quite critical parameter in determining the final properties of the overall system.