Room-temperature 1.54 mu m electroluminescence from Er-doped silicon-rich silicon oxide films deposited on n(+)-Si substrates by magnetron sputtering

Room-temperature 1.54 mum electroluminescence (EL) was compared for Au/SiO2 :Er/n(+)-Si and Au/SiOx:Si:Er/n(+)-Si diodes under reverse bias. The 18 nm thick SiO2:Er and SiOx:Si:Er films were deposited by the magnetron sputteri ng technique. The maximum of the EL intensity was reached after annealing a t 900 degreesC (SiO2:Er) and 800 degreesC (SiOx:Si:Er). The threshold poten tial of the EL was about 4 and 6 V for the Au/SiOx:Si:Er/n(+)-Si and Au/SiO 2:Er/n(+)-Si diodes, respectively. The power efficiency was larger for the Au/SiOx:Si:Er/n(+)-Si diode than that for the Au/SiO2:Er/n(+)-Si diode by s ix times. Our experimental results demonstrate that the existence of Si nan oclusters reduces the threshold potentials of the EL and strongly enhances the power efficiency for Er3+ EL. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.