GaAs nanocrystals fabricated by sequential ion implantation: structural and luminescence properties

We have fabricated GaAs nanocrystals in SiO2 matrices by sequential ion implantation and thermal annealing and studied their photoluminescence (PL) properties. After thermal annealing, GaAs nanocrystals are formed in SiO2 films and some PL bands appear in the red and infrared spectral region. After low-energy deuterium implantation, defect- and impurity-related PL bands disappear and the band-edge emission of GaAs nanocrystals is clearly observed. The luminescence mechanism of GaAs/SiO2 nanocomposites will be discussed.