We present a new electro-chemical method for incorporating high concentration Er ions deep into porous silicon layers and its intense photoluminescence at ∼1.54 μm at room temperature. Porous silicon layers prepared by anodic etching of p-type silicon substrates in HF/H2O are immersed in ErCl3/ethanol solution. Then the negative bias relative to a counter platinum electrode is applied to the samples. Er3+ ions are drawn into fine pores of the porous silicon layers by the electric field. After thermal annealing at ∼1300 °C in an O2/Ar atmosphere, the samples show sharp and intense Er3+-related photoluminescence at ∼1.54 μm at room temperature upon excitation with an Ar ion laser.
Erbium films are evaporated on crystalline silicon substrates and are thermally diffused into silicon in an Ar+02 or H2 flow. Very sharp Er3+-related luminescence peaks are observed around 1.54 μ m.The main peak as well as the fine structures of the luminescence spectra depend on the annealing atmosphere, suggesting different luminescence centers. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the main peaks is ≤ 0.5nm at 20K. Thermal diffusion with Al films on top of the Er films is found to increase the intensity of the Er3+-related peaks greatly. The temperature dependence between 20 K and room temperature is relatively small, and a strong luminescence is obtained at room temperature.
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