Quenching of Porous Silicon Photoluminescence by Ammonia Hydrogen Peroxide Mixture

Abstract

Low resistivity p‐type porous silicon (PS) samples are subjected to oxidation treatment in an ammonia hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM) and to etching in 0.00035% and 0.0014% ammonia solutions at room temperature for 10 to 2700 s. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of the treated PS are correlated with chemical states and microstructures analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The intensity of the red PL from PS is increased by 0.00035% ammonia solution, decreased by 0.0014% ammonia solution, and almost completely quenched by an APM. FTIR analysis shows that the ammonia solutions do not affect the chemical states of the PS surface, which is terminated primarily by hydrogen. Immersion in an APM replaces the hydrogen‐terminated surface with an oxygen‐terminated surface. SEM observations indicate that the thickness of the PS layer is reduced with aqueous ammonia treatment for 2700 s, but not with APM treatment. These results suggest that the PL quenching by an APM may relate to the dehydrogenated surface. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.

Surface Chemistry, Reactivity, and Pore Structure of Porous Silicon Oxidized by Various Methods

“…Similar results have been presented in the literature with HNO 3 and SC2 oxidation. , However, Fukuda et al . have reported SC1-L to remove the surface hydrides almost completely, and Li et al have reported the SC1 solution to remove the surface hydrides completely.…”

“…Similar results have been presented in the literature with HNO 3 and SC2 oxidation. 24,25 However, Fukuda et al 26 have reported SC1-L to remove the surface hydrides almost completely, and Li et al 25 have reported the SC1 solution to remove the surface hydrides completely. The large discrepancy is at least partially due to the fact that in studies by Li et al and Fukuda et al the PSi samples were rinsed with water after preparation.…”