Intense UV-visible photoluminescence from Si+ and N+ co-implanted thermal SiO2 films

Intense UV-visible photoluminescence (PL) is observed at room temperature from thermal SiO2 films implanted with Si and N ions. A flat Si profile was first created. N ions were subsequently implanted into the same depth region as the implanted Si ions. Two PL bands peaking at ~330 nm and ~430 nm were observed from the samples at room temperature with and without annealing. The stability of the implanted ions particularly N ions is evaluated by non-Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Electron spin resonance was also used to characterize the modifications of the Si+ and N+ coimplanted SiO2 films. It is found that the PL has a strong dependence on the stabilized N in the Si+ and N+ coimplanted SiO2 films. The PL is suggested to originate from complex of Si, N and O