Experimental results showing two electrically-induced phenomena, namely the voltage-tunable electroluminescence (VTEL) and the voltage-induced quenching of porous silicon photoluminescence(QPL) are given. In both cases, a spectral shift as large as 300 nm can be recorded for an external bias variation of only 0.5V. This spectral shift is characterised by a blue-shift of the whole EL line in the case of the VTEL whereas it results from a progressive and selective quenching starting by the low-energy part of the luminescence line in the case of the QPL experiments. The origin of this spectral shift is discussed in relation with an electrically-induced selective carrier injection into the silicon nanocrystallites accompanied with an enhancement of the non-radiative recombination which might take place by an Auger relaxation process. Finally, it is shown that a partial oxidation of the porous silicon layer leads to a complete loss of the selectivity of these two phenomena. This result is qualitatively discussed by considering the voltage drop distribution between the substrate and the silicon nanocrystallites. The voltage drops are modified by the growth of the oxide layer on the nanocrystallite surface leading to a modification of the energy barriers at the crystallite boundaries.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.