Abstract
This detailed electron microscope study of porous silicon compares the different structures of macro-, meso- and microporous material. Mesoporous silicon of high porosity (~80%) exhibits efficient red photoluminescence at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy provides strong direct evidence that this visible luminescence arises from dramatic carrier confinement in quantum-size, crystalline silicon structures. Images of undulating, interconnected ‘quantum wires’ of widths <3nm are shown.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank D. Brumhead, P.W. Smith and K.J. Marsh for assistance in sample preparation.
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Cullis, A.G., Canham, L.T. & Dosser, O.D. The Structure of Porous Silicon Revealed by Electron Microscopy. MRS Online Proceedings Library 256, 7–12 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-256-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-256-7