Optical transitions from SiO/sub 2//crystalline Si/SiO/sub 2/ quantum wells

Crystalline silicon single quantum wells were fabricated by high temperature thermal oxidation of ELTRAN silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. The Si layer thickness enclosed by thermal SiO/sub 2/ ranges from 1.1 to 4.3 nm, measured by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Si thickness dependent luminescence in SiO/sub 2//Si/SiO/sub 2/ quantum wells was observed for the samples with 1.1 nm to 2.7 nm thick Si. Luminescent peak energy varies from 730 nm to 920 nm without interface-mediated luminescence.