The present status of Si/ SiO2 superlattice research into optoelectronic applications

Due to the potential applications in optoelectronic areas, Si/SiO2 superlattices have been focused on extensively in the last few years. The work spans a wide range from theory to experiment, investigating mechanisms and structural, electronic and optical properties of the material, and also including deposition technologies and analytical methods; it has led to a much better understanding of the material and a series of fruitful results have been obtained. This paper centers on reviewing the progress and present status of Si/SiO2 superlattice research-for the first time, to our knowledge. The present work gives the authors' assessment of the area of Si/SiO2 superlattice deposition, including deposition technologies, characterization methods, film properties and potential applications. Finally, some existing problems and other related Si based structures with potential optoelectronic applications are summarized.