Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
The ultrafine particles with diameters in the order of 10 nm were deposited onto Si and SiO2 substrates by evaporation of Ge in a pure hydrogen atmosphere. Although the as-deposited Ge ultrafine particles do not show any detectable luminescence, they emit blue light after being exposed to the UV light for a long time. The blue light is strong enough to be seen with the naked eye even under a room light. The photooxidation, unique to the Ge ultrafine particles, has been identified as a major factor contributing to the blue light emission.