Porous silicon was doped by Er ions using electroplating and was converted to silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRSO) by partial thermal oxidation at 900 degrees C. The room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) at similar to 1.5 mu m is intense and narrow (less than or equal to 15 meV) and decreases by less than 50% from 12 to 300 K. The PL spectrum reveals no luminescence bands related to Si-bandedge recombination, point defects, or dislocations and shows that the Er3+ centers are the most efficient radiative recombination centers. A light-emitting diode (LED) with an active layer made of Er-doped SRSO (SRSO:Er) was manufactured and room temperature electrluminescence at similar to 1.5 mu m was demonstrated. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.