ELECTROLUMINESCENCE AND PHOTOLUMINESCENCE OF GE-IMPLANTED SI/SIO2/SI STRUCTURES

Electroluminescent devices were fabricated in SiO2 films containing Ge nanocrystals formed by ion implantation and precipitation during annealing at 900°C, and the visible room-temperature electroluminescence and photoluminescence spectra were found to be broadly similar. The electroluminescent devices have an onset for emission in reverse bias of approximately -10 V, suggesting that the mechanism for carrier excitation may be an avalanche breakdown caused by injection of hot carriers into the oxide. The electroluminescent emission was stable for periods exceeding 6 h.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.