Structure and optical properties of SiO2 films with ZnSe nanocrystals formed by ion implantation

ZnSe nanocrystals have been formed in the silicon dioxide matrix by the sequential high-fluence implantation of Zn+ and Se+ ions at 500 °C. After implantation a part of samples was annealed at 1000 °C for 3 min using rapid thermal annealing. Structural and optical properties of ZnSe/SiO2 nano-composite films were analyzed by means of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy, Raman scattering and photoluminescence techniques. It was shown that a sequence of implantation affects structural and optical properties of synthesized ZnSe clusters. Based on the Raman scattering and photoluminescence data the samples for which Zn ions were implanted first exhibited a better ZnSe crystalline quality than those of reverse sequence of implantation, i.e. with Se ions implanted at the beginning. The bands of blue ZnSe band edge emission and green-red ZnSe deep defect level emission were revealed in the PL spectra of the as-implanted and annealed nano-composites. The PL spectral features observed in the blue region are due to the quantum-size effects in the ZnSe nanocrystals embedded into the silicon dioxide matrix. The PL intensity ratio of the deep defect band to the near edge emission is higher in the samples first implanted with Se ions, and Zn ions implanted next. The effect of rapid thermal annealing on structural and light-emitting properties was discussed.