Electroluminescence from SiNx layers doped with Ce3 + ions

Abstract Luminescent cerium doped silicon light emitting devices on indium tin oxide coated glass have been fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition and sputtering techniques. The electrical and electroluminescent properties of the devices have been investigated. The dominant conduction mechanism at high electric field is contributed to the Poole-Frenkel thermionic emission. The as deposited films emit a broad electroluminescence in the 500 nm–800 nm range. After laser annealing process, an additional 400 nm–550 nm band was observed. The EL spectra have been decomposed into two Gaussian bands at around 460 nm and 650 nm as a result of numerical fitting. The energy band centred at 460 nm is attributed to the cerium doping of the film and the 650 nm energy band is related to the luminescence from defect states in the SiN x lattice.