Erbium ion electroluminescence in p++/n+/n-Si:Er/n++ silicon diode structures

Results of experimental studies of erbium ion electroluminescence in p++/n+/n-Si:Er/n++ silicon diode structures grown by sublimation molecular-beam epitaxy are discussed. The distinctive feature of these structures is that the regions of electron flux formation of (n+-Si) and impact excitation of erbium ions (n-Si:Er) are spaced. The influence of the n+-Si layer thickness on electrical and electroluminescent properties of diodes was studied. It was shown that n+-Si layer thinning causes the transformation of the structure breakdown mechanism from tunneling to avalanche. The dependence of the Er3+ ion electroluminescence on the thickness of the heavily doped n+-Si region is bell-shaped. At the n+-Si-layer doping level n ∼ 2 x 1018 cm-3, the maximum electroluminescence intensity is attained at an n+-Si layer thickness of ∼23 nm