The formation of silicon nanocrystals during thermal annealing of silicon oxide films

Experimental data were obtained on the nature of the energy distribution of electronic states in the valence and conduction bands for all investigated nanoscale structures based on silicon and its compounds. It has been established that an increase in porosity leads to a shift in the bottom of the conduction band and increases the band gap. It was shown that during natural aging of porous silicon, the degradation of photoluminescent properties is accompanied by oxidation of the amorphous silicon layer covering the developed surface of the porous layer. During low-energy plasma treatment of crystalline silicon wafers, silicon dioxide is formed, the thickness significantly exceeding the thickness of natural silicon oxide.