Synthesis and characterisation of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) materials are carried out. We investigated the morphological and structural Si NCs embedded in the silicon nitride (SiNx) matrix. The study has been carried out on thin films thermally annealed at high temperature by rapid thermal annealing after deposition at 380°C by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Our study evidenced the existence of an Si NCs embedded on the SiNx matrix. This has been proven by Raman spectra and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). A sharp peak at a frequency of 515 cm−1 ascribed to the transverse optical (TO) mode becomes broader and makes a symmetric shoulder on the higher frequency side with an increase in the annealing temperature. HR-TEM analyses have demonstrated that Si NCs having a mean radius ranging between 3 and 5 nm. This confirms the a-SiN phase transition to the c-SiN phase by the formation of silicon NCs.
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