Fully inorganic oxide-in-oxide ultraviolet nanocrystal light emitting devices

Abstract

The development of integrated photonics and lab-on-a-chip platforms for environmental and biomedical diagnostics demands ultraviolet electroluminescent materials with high mechanical, chemical and environmental stability and almost complete compatibility with existing silicon technology. Here we report the realization of fully inorganic ultraviolet lightemitting diodes emitting at 390 nm with a maximum external quantum efficiency of ~0.3%, based on sno 2 nanoparticles embedded in sio 2 thin films obtained from a solution-processed method. The fabrication involves a single deposition step onto a silicon wafer followed by a thermal treatment in a controlled atmosphere. The fully inorganic architecture ensures superior mechanical robustness and optimal chemical stability in organic solvents and aqueous solutions. The versatility of the fabrication process broadens the possibility of optimizing this strategy and extending it to other nanostructured systems for designed applications, such as active components of wearable health monitors or biomedical devices.

Sol–Gel-Derived Glass-Ceramic Photorefractive Films for Photonic Structures

“…This refractive index change is of the same order as that obtained in a SnO2-Na2O-SiO2 melted glass [14] and that observed in sol-gel-derived SnO2-SiO2 nanostructured glass [18].…”

Diffusion-driven and size-dependent phase changes of gallium oxide nanocrystals in a glassy host

“…[10][11][12][13] This is the case of Ga oxide NCs in silicate glass, which is one of the prototypal systems of oxide-in-oxide nanostructured glasses together with SnO 2 -doped silica. 14 Stability and thermal evolution of Ga-oxide nanophases are expected to be largely different from the freestanding and pure compound. The role of a solid host in the incorporation of doping species inside Ga 2 O 3 NCs has been recently investigated, 15 but also the structural evolution of Ga 2 O 3 is expected to be influenced.…”

Light-emitting Ga-oxide nanocrystals in glass: a new paradigm for low-cost and robust UV-to-visible solar-blind converters and UV emitters

“…In this way, UV and blue emissions can be optimized for different purposes, including solar-blind UV-to-blue converters 8,9 and UV-emitting devices. 27 …”