Room-temperature 1.54-μm electroluminescence from Er-doped Si-rich SiO2 films deposited on p-Si by magnetron sputtering

Er-doped Si-rich SiO2 (SRSO:Er) films with excess silicon contents of 0, 10, 20 and 30% were deposited on p-Si substrates using the magnetron sputtering technique, and then Au/SRSO:Er/p-Si light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated after the SRSO:Er/p-Si samples were annealed separately at 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 degreesC. Room temperature 1.54-mum electroluminescence (EL) from the Au/SRSO:Er/p-Si LEDs was observed when the forward bias was above 4 V. It was found that excess silicon with a proper content in a SRSO:Er film annealed at a suitable temperature can evidently enhance EL intensity of the LED made of the film. The optimum annealing temperatures for enhancing EL intensity were 900, 900, 800 and 700 degreesC for the SRSO:Er films containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% excess silicon, respectively. The 1.54-mum EL intensity of the Au/SRSO:Er/p-Si LED made of a SRSO:Er film with 20% excess silicon being annealed at 800 degreesC was the most intense. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.