Effect of implantation temperature and annealing on synthesis of ZnSe nanocrystals in silica by ion implantation

Abstract

ZnSe nanocrystals have been synthesized in the silicon dioxide matrix by ion implantation of Zn+ and Se+ ions at 25 and 550 °C with subsequent rapid thermal annealing at 1000 °C for 3 min. Structural and optical properties of implanted films were analyzed using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. It was shown that the temperature of implantation, as well as thermal treatment, affects the structural and optical properties of implanted films. In the case of high-temperature implantation, ZnSe nanocrystals have been formed already during the implantation process. In the case of room-temperature implanted samples, ZnSe nanocrystals have been synthesized only after subsequent rapid thermal annealing. It was found that implanted silica layers exhibit photoluminescence in wide visible spectral range. The origin of photoluminescence of the as-implanted and annealed silica samples is discussed.