Interaction between rare-earth ions and amorphous silicon nanoclusters produced at low processing temperatures

The formation of Er-oxide nanoclusters in SiO2 thin films with excess Si

“…For a long time, silicon was considered unsuitable for optoelectronic applications because of its indirect band gap and the absence of the linear electro-optic effect. Nanocrystals of silicon doped with rare earth ions have been investigated with the prospect of potential use in optical applications, light-emitting diodes and lasers 1,2 . It was shown that doping of rare earth ions into the Si structure is beneficial for Si optoelectronic properties 3 , especially when using erbium (Er).…”

Direct Patterning, Conformal Coating, and Erbium Doping of Luminescent nc‐Si/SiO2 Thin Films from Solution Processable Hydrogen Silsesquioxane

“…[15] These amorphous materials are similarly efficient sensitizers of erbium and other rare earth ions. [16] To conclude, the solution-based method for forming silicon nanocrystals has many striking advantages over previous techniques. First, large wafers can be spin-coated without the need for a costly implantation or thin film system, or any previous processing.…”

Optical properties of Eu3+ in transparent Y–Ti–O nanocrystallized sol–gel film

“…Hence, if rare earth compounds are in nanostructure forms they are expected to act as high functional materials [4][5][6]. However, well-defined nanocrystals is difficult to obtain using conventional methods, which often result in inhomogeneous chemical composition, strong agglomeration, poor morphology and restricted application foreground [7][8][9][10].…”