Fabrication of highly oriented Si:SiO2 nanoparticles using low energy oxygen ion implantation during Si molecular beam epitaxy

A novel technique is developed for fabricating highly oriented Si nanoparticles (SNP) embedded in SiO2 using multiple low energy oxygen ion implantation during Si molecular beam epitaxy. The SNPs are of nearly isotropic but faceted morphologies with almost perfect crystallinity as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. The preferred axis of SNP cores is found to be aligned to [100] due to epitaxy on a Si(100) substrate, reflecting the highly oriented character of SNPs. Visible luminescence from SNPs with dimensions approaching the quantum confinement regime is observed at room temperature.