1.54 μm Light emission from Er/O and Er/F doped Si p-i-n diodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Various light emitting devices (LED) have been processed using Er/O- and Er/F-doped Si layered structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at low temperature. A comparative study has been carried out in order to provide more understanding of the electroluminescence (EL) excitation and de-excitation mechanisms in particular at a high injection current regime. Comparing the experimental results with model calculations the values of excitation cross section, sigma(ex), and effective Auger coefficient, C-A, have been determined for various devices operated at different biases. Time-resolved EL measurements of these Er/O- and Er/F-doped MBE Si structures, using an experimental set-up with a time response of 200 ns, have been performed with different excitation conditions. Besides the spontaneous Er emission ( similar to 700 mu s), some fast EL decay processes associated with the Anger energy transfer via free carriers (similar to 4 mu(s)), and the hot carrier effects (less than or similar to 200 ns) have been identified. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.