Bright luminance from silicon dioxide film with carbon nanotube electron beam exposure

We observed the bright bluish-white luminescence with naked eye from carbon nanotube electron beam exposed silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin film on Si substrate. The luminescence shows a peak intensity at 2.7 eV (460 nm) with wide spread up to 600 nm after the C-beam exposed on SiO2 thin film. The C-beam exposure system is composed of carbon nanotube emitters as electron beam source. The brightness strongly depend on the exposure condition. Luminescence characteristic was optimized by C-beam adjustment to observe with the naked eye. The cause of luminescence in the C-beam exposed SiO2 thin film is analyzed by CL microscopy, FT-IR, AFM and ellipsometer. Decrease of Si-O bonding was observed after C-beam exposure, and this reveals that oxygen deficient defects which are irradiation-sensitive cause 2.7 eV peak of luminescence.