Silicon-based light emitters

A new concept for a Si light emitting diode (LED) capable of emitting efficiently at 1.55 mu m or at 1.3 mu m, respectively, is proposed. It utilizes radiation from a well-defined dislocation network created in a reproducible manner by direct Si wafer bonding. The wavelength of the light emitted from the network can be tailored by adjusting the misorientation between the Si wafers. That way dominance of radiation at 1.55 mu m (D1 line) or at 1.3 mu m (D3 line) was achieved. There are hints that decoration of the dislocations by oxygen enhances the intensity of the D1 radiation. A critical analysis of the light emitter proposed by W. L. Ng et al. [Nature 410, 192 (2001)] using hand-to-hand emission is given. Its application at the above wavelengths would require a few microns thick SiGe layer on top of the Si substrate. (c) 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.