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

Abstract Er-doped Si-rich SiO 2 (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 °C. Room temperature 1.54-μm 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 °C for the SRSO:Er films containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% excess silicon, respectively. The 1.54-μm EL intensity of the Au/SRSO:Er/p-Si LED made of a SRSO:Er film with 20% excess silicon being annealed at 800 °C was the most intense.