Optical properties of amorphous and nanostructure Si/SiO₂ quantum wells

Amorphous Si/SiO₂ quantum wells have been obtained at room temperature with atomic precision using magnetron sputtering. The Si/SiO ₂ layer structure induces the higher optical transmittance at the visible wavelength region with increasing layer numbers. The tentative absorption coefficients are evaluated for integrated Si thicknesses. The absorption edge energy dependency on Si layer thickness E₀ = 1.61 + 0.75d^-2 is in accordance with effective mass theory for thicknesses 0.5 < d < 6nm. Quantum confinement effects of the Si/SiO₂ nanostructure layer are confirmed from optical transmittance and reflectance spectra.