A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure comprising clusters
and/or nanocrystals of silicon described which are present in distributed
form in a matrix of silicon compound. The method comprises the steps of
depositing a layer of thermally nonstable silicon compound having a layer
thickness in the range between 0.5 nm and 20 nm especially between 1 nm
and 10 nm and in particular between 1 nm and 7 nm on a support and
thermal treatment at a temperature sufficient to carry out a phase
separation to obtain clusters or nanocrystals of silicon in a matrix of
thermally stable silicon compound. The claims also cover semiconductor
structures having such distributed clusters or nanocrystals of silicon
The method described enables the economic production of high density
arrays of silicon clusters or nanocrystals with a narrow size
distribution.