P. Canet et C. Laurent, ELECTROLUMINESCENCE FROM RADIATIVE DECAY OF SURFACE-PLASMONS IN ALUMINUM-INSULATOR-INDIUM TIN OXIDE STRUCTURES, Journal of applied physics, 75(11), 1994, pp. 7460-7464
Electroluminescence was observed in sandwich structures composed of a
thick layer of plasma-deposited hydrogenated carbon and two statistica
lly rough aluminum and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. An indicatio
n of the presence of surface plasmons in the emission process is prove
d by the temperature dependence of the emission-efficiency and of the
light spectra. Visible light from surface plasmon decay at the ITO sur
face is due to the formation of a metal-enriched layer at the very sur
face of the ITO film that occurs during the early phase of hydrogenate
d carbon deposition. The light output was dominated by the radiative d
ecay of surface plasmons excited at the outer metal-glass interface of
a semi-transparent aluminum electrode. Each interface behaved like a
probe, sensitive to the low or high energy tail of the electron energy
distribution function.