We provide direct evidence that Er ions incorporated in the depletion layer of a Si junction are efficiently pumped through an impact excitation process with hot carriers. The carriers were accelerated by the electric field present in the depletion layer after being produced by either Zener breakdown of the junction at ∼5 V or by irradiating the diode with an argon laser. Measurements of the electroluminescence yield at 1.54 μm as a function of the reverse bias voltage (and for a constant current through the device) reveal that excitation of Er only occurs at voltages above 1 V, demonstrating that impact is the pumping mechanism. Moreover, we have found that Er ions are only excited within ∼15 nm from the edges of the depletion layer leaving a dark, ∼50 nm thick, region in the central part of the depletion region. Monte Carlo calculations confirmed that only close to the depletion layer edges the energy gained by the carriers in the electric field is high enough to impact excite Er.
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6 July 1998
Research Article|
July 06 1998
Direct evidence of impact excitation and spatial profiling of excited Er in light emitting Si diodes
Salvatore Coffa;
Salvatore Coffa
CNR-IMETEM, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania, Italy
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Giorgia Franzò;
Giorgia Franzò
CNR-IMETEM, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania, Italy
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Francesco Priolo;
Francesco Priolo
INFM and Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università, Corso Italia 57, 95129 Catania, Italy
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Andrea Pacelli;
Andrea Pacelli
Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Andrea Lacaita
Andrea Lacaita
Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 93–95 (1998)
Article history
Received:
December 30 1997
Accepted:
May 05 1998
Citation
Salvatore Coffa, Giorgia Franzò, Francesco Priolo, Andrea Pacelli, Andrea Lacaita; Direct evidence of impact excitation and spatial profiling of excited Er in light emitting Si diodes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 6 July 1998; 73 (1): 93–95. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.121791
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