DEEP ERBIUM CENTERS IN SILICON .2. EXPERIMENT

Based on the first part of this paper (I. Theory), models are proposed for low-symmetry erbium centers which agree with data on the electric al, magnetic, and optical properties of single-crystal Si:Er doped dur ing Czochralski growth. The concentration dependence of the intracente r luminescence of the Er3+ ion (wavelength 1.54 mu-m) indicates that t he electrical and optical properties of the erbium centers are interre lated and can be interpreted in terms of an Auger process for resonant energy transfer into the f-shell from nonequilibrium carriers which r ecombine at a deep level in the band gap. The P++Er2O- and Er+V,Er+C+O +V-2 erbium centers are proposed as offering the greatest proposed as offering the greatest promise for increasing the luminescence efficien cy of erbium in crystalline silicon doped in the melt and by ion impla ntation.