Blue electroluminescence from high dose Si+ implantation in SiO2

Many results have been obtained on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 but very few about electroluminescence (EL) of Si/SiO2 implanted layers. Thermally grown SiO2 layers on Si have been implanted with high doses of Si+ and annealed at high temperature. Complementary techniques were used to characterize this structure. The implanted Si atomic distribution was determined by Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) measurements whereas the crystallinity of the layer was investigated by Raman scattering and XTEM. In particular, it was observed that Si nanocrystals, with typical dimensions larger than 10 nm, have been formed after the annealing step. A blue room-temperature EL (narrow peak at around 470 nm) was observed at high electrical fields. This study points out the importance of the capability of the electroluminescent structure to produce hot electrons. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.