Extensive Broadband Near-Infrared Emissions from GexSi1-x Alloys on Micro-Hole Patterned Si(001) Substrates

Broadband near-infrared (NIR) luminescent materials have been continuously pursued as promising candidates for optoelectronic devices crucial for wide applications in night vision, environment monitoring, biological imaging, etc. Here, graded GexSi1-x (x = 0.1-0.3) alloys are grown on micro-hole patterned Si(001) substrates. Barn-like islands and branch-like nanostructures appear at regions in-between micro-holes and the sidewalls of micro-holes, respectively. The former is driven by the efficient strain relation. The latter is induced by the dislocations originating from defects at sidewalls after etching. An extensive broadband photoluminescence (PL) spectrum is observed in the NIR wavelength range of 1200-2200 nm. Moreover, the integrated intensity of the PL can be enhanced by over six times in comparison with that from the reference sample on a flat substrate. Such an extensively broad and strong PL spectrum is attributed to the coupling between the emissions of GeSi alloys and the guided resonant modes in ordered micro-holes and the strain-enhanced decomposition of alloys during growth on the micro-hole patterned substrate. These results demonstrate that the graded GexSi1-x alloys on micro-hole pattered Si substrates may have great potential for the development of innovative broadband NIR optoelectronic devices, particularly to realize entire systems on a Si chip.