Electroluminescence from Au/Si oxynitride film Si structures with the films having different chemical compositions

Si oxynitride films (with thicknesses of about 40-80 Angstrom) with different chemical compositions were deposited on Si wafers by three kinds of method: electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) chemical vapour deposition, magnetron sputtering, and direct nitration of Si wafers in an ECR plasma. The chemical composition of Si oxynitride films was examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electroluminescence (EL) from the semitransparent Au/Si oxynitride film/Si structures, and the effects of chemical composition of the films on EL have been studied. The dependence of EL on thermal annealing has also been reported. Experimental results show that the dominant EL peak position varies from 640 to 700 nm, but the shoulders at about 520 and 820 nm have no apparent shift when the Si content in the Si oxynitride films increases.