ELECTROLUMINESCENCE FROM AU EXTRA-THIN SI-RICH SIO2 FILM/N(+)-SI UNDER REVERSE BIASES AND ITS MECHANISM/

We have fabricated Au/extra-thin Si-rich SiO2 (ETSSO) film/p-Si and Au /ETSSO/n(+)-Si structures and compared their electroluminescence (EL) characteristics. It is found that for the Au/ETSSO/p-Si structure, whe n the forward bias (a positive voltage is applied to the p-Si substrat e with respect to the Au electrode) is larger than 4 V, red light emis sion is observed, while under bias reverses, no light is emitted. The Au/ETSSO/n(+)-Si structure does not emit light under the forward bias (a positive voltage is applied to the Au electrode with respect to the n(+)-Si substrate), but it emits red light when the reverse bias is g reater than a critical value, which correlates with the thickness of t he ETSSO film. We have suggested a model for the electroluminescence m echanism of Au/ETSSO/n+-Si structures. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.