Characterization of ITO porous silicon LED structures

The electrical behavior and the electroluminescence (EL) obtained from n- a nd p-type ITO/porous silicon LEDs have been characterized simultaneously at different temperatures. Stability and aging in air were investigated, and means for avoiding their detrimental effects in the experiments are suggest ed. The dominating current carrying mechanism responsible for visible light emission in both substrate types has been identified to be Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. This emphasizes the contribution of embedded nanoparticles (qua ntum dots) rather than the role of nanowires in efficient EL. (C) 1999 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.