SiOC thin films: an efficient light source and an ideal host matrix for Eu2+ ions.

The intense luminescence of SiOC layers is studied and its dependence on the parameters of the thermal annealing process elucidated. Although the emission of SiOC is bright enough to be interesting for practical applications, this material is even more promising as a host matrix for optically active Eu ions. Indeed, when incorporated in a SiOC matrix, Eu(3+) ions are efficiently reduced to Eu(2+), producing a very strong visible luminescence peaked at 440 nm. Eu(2+) ions benefit also of the occurrence of an energy transfer mechanism involving the matrix, which increases the efficiency of photon absorption for exciting wavelengths shorter than 300 nm. We evaluate that Eu doping of SiOC produces an enhancement of the luminescence intensity at 440 nm accounting for about a factor of 15. These properties open the way to new promising perspectives for the application of Eu-doped materials in photonic and lighting technologies.

Eu3+ reduction and efficient light emission in Eu2O3 films deposited on Si substrates.

A stable Eu3+ → Eu2+ reduction is accomplished by thermal annealing in N2 ambient of Eu2O3 films deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate the occurrence of a complex reactivity at the Eu2O3/Si interface, leading to the formation of Eu2+ silicates, characterized by a very strong (the measured external quantum efficiency is about 10%) and broad room temperature photoluminescence (PL) peak centered at 590 nm. This signal is much more efficient than the Eu3+ emission, mainly consisting of a sharp PL peak at 622 nm, observed in O2-annealed films, where the presence of a SiO2 layer at the Eu2O3/Si interface prevents Eu2+ formation.

Energy transfer and enhanced 1.54 µm emission in Erbium-Ytterbium disilicate thin films.

α-(Yb1-xErx)2Si2O7 thin films on Si substrates were synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. The optical emission from Er3+ ions has been extensively investigated, evidencing the very efficient role of Yb-Er coupling. The energy-transfer coefficient was evaluated for an extended range of Er content (between 0.2 and 16.5 at.%) reaching a maximum value of 2 × 10⁻¹6 cm⁻³s⁻¹. The highest photoluminescence emission at 1535 nm is obtained as a result of the best compromise between the number of Yb donors (16.4 at.%) and Er acceptors (1.6 at.%), for which a high population of the first excited state is reached. These results are very promising for the realization of 1.54 µm optical amplifiers on a Si platform.

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Fractal Silicon Nanowire Arrays.

Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) emerged in several application fields as a strategic element to surpass the bulk limits with a flat compatible architecture. The approaches used for the Si NW realization have a crucial impact on their final performances and their final cost. This makes the research on a novel and flexible approach for Si NW fabrication a crucial point for Si NW-based devices. In this work, the novelty is the study of the flexibility of thin film metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) for the fabrication of Si NWs with the possibility of realizing different doped Si NWs, and even a longitudinal heterojunction p-n inside the same single wire. This point has never been reported by using thin metal film MACE. In particular, we will show how this approach permits one to obtain a high density of vertically aligned Si NWs with the same doping of the substrate and without any particular constraint on doping type and level. Fractal arrays of Si NWs can be fabricated without any type of mask thanks to the self-assembly of gold at percolative conditions. This Si NW fractal array can be used as a substrate to realize controllable artificial fractals, integrating other interesting elements with a cost-effective microelectronics compatible approach.

Erbium emission in Er:Y2O3 decorated fractal arrays of silicon nanowires.

Disordered materials with new optical properties are capturing the interest of the scientific community due to the observation of innovative phenomena. We present the realization of novel optical materials obtained by fractal arrays of silicon nanowires (NWs) synthesized at low cost, without mask or lithography processes and decorated with Er:Y2O3, one of the most promising material for the integration of erbium in photonics. The investigated structural properties of the fractal Er:Y2O3/NWs demonstrate that the fractal morphology can be tuned as a function of the sputtering deposition angle (from 5° to 15°) of the Er:Y2O3 layer. We demonstrate that by this novel approach, it is possible to simply change the Er emission intensity by controlling the fractal morphology. Indeed, we achieved the increment of Er emission at 560 nm, opening new perspectives on the control and enhancement of the optical response of novel disordered materials.

Hybrid nickel-free graphene/porphyrin rings for photodegradation of emerging pollutants in water.

A novel hybrid photoactive material based on graphene foam (G) coupled with porphyrin-based polymers (Porph rings) was formulated by using a time-saving procedure to remove nickel from the final device. Specifically, Porph rings were spin coated onto the G platform with the double function of a visible-light photocatalyst and protective agent during nickel etching. The characterization of G-Porph rings was assessed by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL). The novel material showed photocatalytic ability in degrading different classes of pollutants such as the herbicide 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an ingredient of care and health products, and also the methylene blue (MB) dye. UV-Vis spectroscopy, total organic carbon (TOC) and soft mass spectrometry techniques were used to monitor the photocatalytic process. The best performance in terms of photocatalytic efficiency was exhibited versus PEG and MB degradation. Furthermore, to determine the individual contribution of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced, free radical and hole scavenging tests were also carried out. Finally, a detailed map of the photocatalytic degradation mechanisms was proposed, reporting also the calculation of Porph rings' Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and Lowest Occupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) energy level values.

Optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 nanoplumes.

Here we report the photocatalytic efficiency of hydrogenated TiO2 nanoplumes studied by measuring dye degradation in water. Nanoplumes were synthesized by peroxide etching of Ti films with different thicknesses. Structural characterization was carried out by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We investigated in detail the optical properties of the synthesized material and related them to the efficiency of UV photodegradation of methylene blue dye. The obtained results show that TiO2 nanoplumes act as an effective antireflective layer increasing the UV photocatalytic yield of the film.

Visible emission from bismuth-doped yttrium oxide thin films for lighting and display applications.

Due to the great development of light sources for several applications from displays to lighting, great efforts are devoted to find stable and efficient visible emitting materials. Moreover, the requirement of Si compatibility could enlarge the range of applications inside microelectronic chips. In this scenario, we have studied the emission properties of bismuth doped yttrium oxide thin films grown on crystalline silicon. Under optical pumping at room temperature a stable and strong visible luminescence has been observed. In particular, by the involvement of Bi ions in the two available lattice sites, the emission can be tuned from violet to green by changing the excitation wavelength. Moreover, under electron beam at low accelerating voltages (3 keV) a blue emission with high efficiency and excellent stability has been recorded. The color is generated by the involvement of Bi ions in both the lattice sites. These peculiarities make this material interesting as a luminescent medium for applications in light emitting devices and field emission displays by opening new perspectives for the realization of silicon-technology compatible light sources operating at room temperature.

Multicolor Depth-Resolved Cathodoluminescence from Eu-Doped SiOC Thin Films.

A very bright room-temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) signal, tunable in the visible range by changing the Eu(2+) concentration, has been observed in Eu-doped SiOC films. Depth-resolved CL measurements demonstrate that a bilayer consisting of two SiOC films containing different Eu concentrations allows the continuous tuning of the Eu(2+) emission from blue to green by changing the energy of the exciting electrons. Furthermore, the proper control at the nanoscale of the electron penetration depth allows to obtain a high-quality white light emission. The compatibility of SiOC films with Si technology opens the way to promising applications of Eu-based materials in lighting and display technologies.

Optical Properties of Nanoporous Germanium Thin Films.

In the present article we report enhanced light absorption, tunable size-dependent blue shift, and efficient electron-hole pairs generation in Ge nanoporous films (np-Ge) grown on Si. The Ge films are grown by sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy; subsequently, the nanoporous structure is obtained by Ge+ self-implantation. We show, by surface photovoltage spectroscopy measurements, blue shift of the optical energy gap and strong signal enhancement effects in the np-Ge films. The blue shift is related to quantum confinement effects at the wall separating the pore in the structure, the signal enhancement to multiple light-scattering events, which result in enhanced absorption. All these characteristics are highly stable with time. These findings demonstrate that nanoporous Ge films can be very promising for photovoltaic applications.

Room-temperature efficient light detection by amorphous Ge quantum wells.

In this work, ultrathin amorphous Ge films (2 to 30 nm in thickness) embedded in SiO2 layers were grown by magnetron sputtering and employed as proficient light sensitizer in photodetector devices. A noteworthy modification of the visible photon absorption is evidenced due to quantum confinement effects which cause both a blueshift (from 0.8 to 1.8 eV) in the bandgap and an enhancement (up to three times) in the optical oscillator strength of confined carriers. The reported quantum confinement effects have been exploited to enhance light detection by Ge quantum wells, as demonstrated by photodetectors with an internal quantum efficiency of 70%.

The role of the surfaces in the photon absorption in Ge nanoclusters embedded in silica.

The usage of semiconductor nanostructures is highly promising for boosting the energy conversion efficiency in photovoltaics technology, but still some of the underlying mechanisms are not well understood at the nanoscale length. Ge quantum dots (QDs) should have a larger absorption and a more efficient quantum confinement effect than Si ones, thus they are good candidate for third-generation solar cells. In this work, Ge QDs embedded in silica matrix have been synthesized through magnetron sputtering deposition and annealing up to 800°C. The thermal evolution of the QD size (2 to 10 nm) has been followed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, evidencing an Ostwald ripening mechanism with a concomitant amorphous-crystalline transition. The optical absorption of Ge nanoclusters has been measured by spectrophotometry analyses, evidencing an optical bandgap of 1.6 eV, unexpectedly independent of the QDs size or of the solid phase (amorphous or crystalline). A simple modeling, based on the Tauc law, shows that the photon absorption has a much larger extent in smaller Ge QDs, being related to the surface extent rather than to the volume. These data are presented and discussed also considering the outcomes for application of Ge nanostructures in photovoltaics.PACS: 81.07.Ta; 78.67.Hc; 68.65.-k.