Search results for "Amorphous silicon dioxide"

Structural relaxation of E_gamma centers in amorphous silica

2002

We report experimental evidence of the existence of two variants of the E' gamma centers induced in silica by gamma rays at room temperature. The two variants are distinguishable by the fine features of their line shapes in paramagnetic resonance spectra. These features suggest that the two E' gamma differ for their topology. We find a thermally induced interconversion between the centers with an activation energy of about 34 meV. Hints are also found for the existence of a structural configuration of minimum energy and of a metastable state.

Unraveling exciton dynamics in amorphous silicon dioxide: Interpretation of the optical features from 8 to 11 eV.

2011

Physical review / B 83, 174201 (2011). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.83.174201

Sturctural disorder and silanol groups content in amorphous SiO2

2009

We present a study on the features of the Urbach edge in amorphous silicon dioxide a-SiO2 . The effects of temperature on the absorption edge in the range from 4 to 300 K were studied in both materials having negligible dry, 1017 cm−3 and significant wet, 1019 cm−3 silanol groups contents. Remarkable differences in the values and in the temperature dependence of the Urbach energy in the dry and wet samples were observed. These differences are interpreted as a consequence of a drastic reduction in the degree of disorder in wet materials, which turn out to be characterized by an electronic structure more similar to that of crystalline quartz. Furthermore, our results indicate that silanol gro…

Vacuum-ultraviolet absorption of amorphous SiO2: intrinsic disorder and role of silanol groups

2008

We present a study on the vacuum-ultraviolet VUV absorption properties of amorphous SiO2 a-SiO2 with high concentrations of silanol groups Si-OH . We found that the absorption spectra are made up of a couple of exponential profiles. The first, in the range from 7.5 to 8.1 eV, was attributed to Si-OH group absorption, while the second, in the range from 8.1 to 8.25 eV, was ascribed to the intrinsic absorption. The VUV absorption cross section of Si-OH groups in a-SiO2 was determined as well. The intrinsic absorption was found to be affected by the Si-OH concentration: high silanol group contents allow lower values of the Urbach energy. This result is interpreted in terms of a reduction in th…

EPR investigation on the polyamorphic transformation induced by electron irradiation in SiO2 glass

2013

Optically active oxygen-deficiency-related centers in amorphous silicon dioxide

1998

Abstract The spectroscopic properties, structure and interconversions of optically active oxygen-deficiency-related point defects in vitreous silica are reviewed. These defects, the E′-centers (oxygen vacancies with a trapped hole or 3-fold-coordinated silicons), different variants of diamagnetic `ODCs' (oxygen-deficiency centers), and their Ge-related analogs play a key role in the fiber-optic Bragg grating writing processes. The controversy surrounding the structural models for the Si- and Ge-related ODCs is discussed and the similarity between the bulk and surface point defects in silica is emphasized. The possible interconversion mechanisms between 2-fold-coordinated Si, neutral oxygen …

The role of impurities in the irradiation induced densification of amorphous SiO(2).

2011

In a recent work (Buscarino et al 2009 Phys. Rev. B 80 094202), by studying the properties of the (29)Si hyperfine structure of the E'(γ) point defect, we have proposed a model able to describe quantitatively the densification process taking place upon electron irradiation in amorphous SiO(2) (a-SiO(2)). In particular, we have shown that it proceeds heterogeneously, through the nucleation of confined densified regions statistically dispersed into the whole volume of the material. In the present experimental investigation, by using a similar approach on a wider set of materials, we explore how this process is influenced by impurities, such as OH and Cl, typically involved in relevant concent…

A two-component model for the 2260cm−1 infrared absorption band in electron irradiated amorphous SiO2

2011

Abstract We report an experimental study by infrared absorption (IR) measurements focused on the effects of electron irradiation in the dose range from 1.2 × 10 3  kGy to 5 × 10 6  kGy on the intrinsic band peaked at 2260 cm − 1 in amorphous silicon dioxide (a-SiO 2 ) materials. This IR band is particularly relevant as it is assigned to an overtone of the strong asymmetric stretching vibration of Si–O–Si bridges and consequently it is intimately related to the Si–O–Si bond angle distribution. In a recent work we have shown that structural modifications induced by irradiation take place through the nucleation of confined high-defective and densified regions statistically dispersed into the w…

Investigation on the microscopic structure of E' center in amorphous silicon dioxide by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

2006

The E′δ center is one of the most important paramagnetic point defects in amorphous silicon dioxide ( a-SiO 2) primarily for applications in the field of electronics. In fact, its appearance in the gate oxide of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures seriously affects the proper work of many devices and, often, causes their definitive failure. In spite of its relevance, until now a definitive microscopic model of this point defect has not been established. In the present work we review our experimental investigation by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) on the E′δ center induced in γ-ray irradiated a-SiO 2. This study has driven us to the determination of the intensity ratio between…

centers induced by γ irradiation in sol–gel synthesized oxygen deficient amorphous silicon dioxide

2007

The effects of room temperature γ-ray irradiation up to a dose of ∼1300 kGy are investigated by Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements in amorphous silicon dioxide (a-SiO2) produced by a sol-gel synthesis method that introduces O{triple bond, long}Si{single bond}Si{triple bond, long}O oxygen deficiency. We have found that exposure to radiation generates the Eγ′ center with the same spectral features found in high purity commercial a-SiO2. The maximum concentration of defects induced in this sol-gel material indicates that its resistance to radiation is comparable to that of synthetic fused a-SiO2. The concentration of Eγ′ center increases with irradiation, featuring a sublinear …