Efficient light emission from crystalline and amorphous silicon nanostructures

Optical and electronic properties of crystalline silicon (c-Si) and amorphous silicon (a-Si) nanostructures are reviewed. The photoluminescence (PL) peak energies of c-Si and a-Si nanostructures are blueshifted from those of bulk c-Si and a-Si. The temperature dependence of the PL intensity is drastically improved in c-Si and a-Si nanostructures, and efficient luminescence from c-Si and a-Si nanostructures is observed at room temperature. The quantum confinement, spatial confinement, and surface effects on luminescence properties are summarized and the PL mechanism of silicon nanostructures is discussed