PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AT 1.54 MU-M IN ERBIUM-DOPED AMORPHOUS HYDROGENATEDSILICON

The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence in a-Si:H[Er] samp les, into which Er and oxygen were introduced during growth, is invest igated. In contrast to single-crystalline Si [Er], where the intensity of the photoluminescence at 1.54 mu m drops substantially as the temp erature increases from 4.2 K to room temperature, the intensity of the photoluminescence associated with Er in a-Si:H[Er] in the same region of the spectrum is virtually temperature-independent. The fact that t he temperature dependence of the intrinsic photoluminescence of a-Si:H [Er] is different from that of the photoluminescence at 1.54 mu m is e vidence of the existence of two radiative channels which are independe nt of one another. Vacuum annealing at T = 800 degrees C increases the photoluminescence at 1.54 mu m at T = 300 K by a factor of 2.5. (C) 1 996 American Institute of Physics.