ER O AND ER/F DOPING DURING MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXIAL-GROWTH OF SI LAYERS FOR EFFICIENT 1.54 MU-M LIGHT-EMISSION/

Er, together with oxygen or fluorine as co-dopants, has been incorpora ted into Si during molecular beam epitaxial growth using co-evaporatio n of Si and Er containing compounds. The Er doping concentration using both Er2O3 and ErF3 can reach a level of similar to 5 x 10(19) cm(-3) without precipitation, which is at least one order of magnitude highe r than a previously reported solid solubility limit for Er in Si. Grow th, structural, and luminescence characterization of these Er/O and Er /F doped Si samples are reported. In particular, 1.54 mu m electrolumi nescence has been observed from Er/O doped Si layers at room temperatu re through hot electron impact excitation. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.