Luminescence properties of Ge implanted SiO2:Ge and GeO2:Ge films

We have investigated cathodeluminescence (CL) of Ge implanted SiO2:Ge and GeO2:Ge films. The GeO2 films were grown by oxidation of Ge substrate at 550 °C for 3 h in O2 gas flow. The GeO2 films on Ge substrate and SiO2 films on Si substrate were implanted with Ge-negative ions. The implanted Ge atom concentrations in the films were ranging from 0.1 to 6.0 at%. To produce Ge nanoparticles the SiO2:Ge films were thermally annealed at various temperatures of 600–900 °C for 1 h in N2 gas flow. An XPS analysis has shown that the implanted Ge atoms were partly oxidized. CL was observed at wavelengths around 400 nm from the GeO2 films before and after Ge−-implantation as well as from SiO2:Ge films. After Ge−-implantation of about 0.5 at% the CL intensity has increased by about four times. However, the CL intensity from the GeO2:Ge films was several orders of magnitude smaller than the intensity from the 800 °C-annealed SiO2:Ge films with 0.5 at% of Ge atomic concentration. These results suggested that the luminescence was generated due to oxidation of Ge nanoparticles in the SiO2:Ge films.