ELECTROLUMINESCENCE IN THE VISIBLE RANGE DURING ANODIC-OXIDATION OF POROUS SILICON FILMS

Porous silicon/silicon structures under anodic oxidation conditions give rise to an electroluminescence phenomenon in the visible range. Using an optical multichannel analyzer the spectral distribution of the emitted light was measured - in situ - during the anodic oxidation step. Recorded spectra show a maximum which shifts continuously from red-orange at the beginning of the process towards the yellow range. The visible emission well above the band gap of bulk silicon is attributed to a quantum size effect in the very small size (5-20 angstrom) silicon island which constitutes the porous silicon skeleton. The light emission is interrupted when the current flow stops due to the formation of a continuous oxide layer at the porous silicon/silicon interface.