Enhanced photoluminescence from nanopatterned carbon-rich silicon grown by solid-phase epitaxy

Photoluminescence from the dicarbon G center in nanopatterned silicon is investigated. Enrichment of silicon with carbon atoms has been achieved by solid-phase epitaxy. When this carbon enrichment is combined with nanopatterning, The authors found a 33-fold increase in the G line emission intensity to a level that is comparable to the band-edge photoluminescence. Significant linewidth broadening is observed and is attributed to lattice strain associated with the nanopatterning.