High-purity silica samples were implanted at room temperature with 2MeV Si ions or sequentially with 2MeV Si and 10MeV Au ions. Three photoluminescence bands associated with the presence of defects were identified in the as-implanted samples. After heat treatment at 1100C, a line appears at 750nm in Si-implanted samples. This line was attributed to the emission from localized states in Si nanocrystals. At this temperature, the defects were only partially annealed. In the case of the samples implanted sequentially with Si and Au ions, the Si nanocrystal emission band appeared; even without heat treatment.

Silicon Nanocrystals and Defects Produced by Silicon and Silicon-and-Gold Implantation in Silica. C.Barthou, P.H.Duong, A.Oliver, J.C.Cheang-Wong, L.Rodríguez-Fernández, A.Crespo-Sosa, T.Itoh, P.Lavallard: Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, 93[12], 10110-3