Brightly photoluminescent phosphor materials based on silicon quantum dots with oxide shell passivation.

We demonstrate silicon-based phosphor materials which exhibit bright photoluminescence from near-infra-red to green. The colloidal composites which are composed of silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) attached on micro-size silicon particles are synthesized by electrochemical etching of silicon wafers and then dispersed in ethanol. Subsequently, isotropic etching by HF/HNO3 mixture controls the size so as the emission wavelength of SiQDs, and forms an oxide passivating shell. The phosphors can further react with alkoxysilanes to form a stable suspension in non-polar solvents for solution-processing. The resulting red-light-emitting SiQD-based phosphors in chloroform exhibit photoluminescence external quantum efficiency of 15.9%. Their thin films can be efficiently excited by InGaN light-emitting diodes and are stable in room condition.