Synthesis and photoluminescence of doped Si3N4 nanowires with various valence electron configurations

In this work, Y-, Ce- and Tb-doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires have been successfully synthesized by directly nitriding-doped nanocrystalline silicon powders obtained by cryomilling. The obtained single-crystalline α-Si 3 N 4 nanowires are nearly 20–50 nm in diameter and up to several micrometers in length. The photoluminescence properties of doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires have also been investigated. The Y-doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires exhibit the main peak at 425 nm, Ce-doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires show a narrow emission peak at 450 nm, and Tb-doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires present a strong and sharp emission peak at 545 nm. Combining with our previous works on Al-, La- and Eu-doped Si 3 N 4 nanowires, the effects of dopants with different valence electron configurations on the photoluminescence properties have been explored. The present study provides a guide to fabricate Si 3 N 4 -based nanomaterials for different photonic applications.