A-SIC-H THIN-FILM VISIBLE LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODES WITH HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE WIDE-BAND GAP A-SIC-H AS THE CARRIER INJECTION LAYERS

Highly conductive (similar to 10(-4) (Omega cm)-1) and wide band gap ( similar to 2.0 eV) carrier injection layers of a-SiC:H have been prepa red by rf plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) using the hydrogen dilution technique. These materials have been utilized in th e fabrication of a-SiC:K based thin film light emitting diodes (TFLEDs ) as hole and electron injectors and have also been crystallized using an excimer (ArF) laser. The conductivity of these materials increased by up to six orders of magnitude after the laser crystallization. The TFLEDs developed have a structure of glass/tin oxide (TO)/i (a-SiC:H) /n (a-SiC:H) and glass/TO/p (a-SiC:H)/i (a-SiC:H)/n (a-SiC:H). Visible yellowish orange light emissions have been observed in these junction s at room temperature. The properties of the carrier injection materia l as well as device characteristics are reported.