ELECTROLUMINESCENCE OF ERBIUM-OXYGEN-DOPED SILICON DIODES GROWN BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY

We have fabricated erbium-oxygen-doped silicon light emitting diodes w ith molecular beam epitaxy by simultaneously evaporating erbium and si licon and providing a suitable background pressure of oxygen. In rever se bias, the diodes show intense room-temperature electroluminescence at lambda = 1.54 mu m originating from the intra-4f transition or erbi um. This luminescence does not show temperature quenching between 4 an d 300 K. In forward bias the erbium peak intensity is reduced by a fac tor of 30 at low temperatures and shows temperature quenching. (C) 199 6 American Institute of Physics.