PHOTOLUMINESCENCE OF A-SI-H FILMS GROWN BY PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION AND DOPED WITH ERBIUM FROM THE METALLORGANIC COMPOUND ER(HFA)(3)CENTER-DOT-DME

Using standard low-temperature (<300 degrees C) plasma-enhanced chemic al vapor deposition (PE CVD) technology, films of a Si(Er):H were obta ined that emitted light in the neighborhood of 1.54 mu m at room tempe rature. The Er source was the specially synthesized fluorine-containin g metallorganic complex Er(HFA)(3) . DME (where HFA = CF3C(O)CHC(O)CF3 and DME=CH3OCH2CH2OCH3), which possesses a low transition temperature to the gas phase (of order 100 degrees C) at working pressures (0.1-0 .5 Torr) for the PE CVD method. Distinctive features of the photolumin escence spectrum of a-Si(Er):H were investigated in the range 0.5 - 1. 7 mu m for T = 77 and 300 K. The presence of photoconductivity in the synthesized films is evidence of their satisfactory electronic quality . (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7834(98)01008-9].