Photoluminescence and microstructure of the Erbium-Doped hydrogenated amorphous SiOx(0 < x < 2)

The hydrogenated amorphous SiOx films (a-SiOx:H) with various oxygen conten ts have been prepared using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition techn ique. The films were implanted with erbium and annealed by rapid thermal an nealing. An intense photoluminescence (PL) of Er at 1.54 mum has been obser ved at 77 K and at room temperature. The PL intensity depends strongly on b oth the oxygen content of the film and the rapid thermal annealing temperat ure and reaches its maximum if the ratio of O/Si in the film is approximate ly equal to 1.0 at 77 K and to 1.76 at room temperature. The microstructure of the film also has strong influences on the PL intensity. The PL intensi ty at 250 K is slightly more than a half of that at 15 K. It means that the temperature quenching effect of the PL intensity is very weak.