Light emission characteristics and negative resistance phenomenon of Si-based metal/insulator/semiconductor tunnel junction

We have fabricated the Au/SiO2/Si Metal/Insulator/Semiconductor tunnel junc tions (MISJ) using heavily Sb-doped Si wafers and an SiO2 insulating layer. Stable, uniform, broadband (500-900 nm) light emission was observed from t he MISJ with an emission efficiency of 10(-5) which is one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of an Au/Al2O3/Al junction. The light emission spectrum has main peaks at 620 (2.00 eV) and 735 nm (1.69 eV). A negative r esistance phenomenon (NRP) in the I-V curve, possibly due to surface plasmo n polariton (SPP) scattering on the tunneling electrons, is closely associa ted with Light emission. The MISJ is compatible with Si microelectronic tec hnology and can be used for new kinds of integrated optoelectronic and phot onic devices. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.