Luminescence from Si-Implanted SiO2-Si3N4 Nano Bi-Layers for Electrophotonic Integrated Si Light Sources

Abstract

In this paper, we present structural and luminescence studies of silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRO) and SRO-Si 3 N 4 bi-layers for integration in emitter-waveguide pairs that can be used for photonic lab-on-a-chip sensing applications. The results from bi and mono layers are also compared. Two clearly separated emission bands are respectively attributed to a combination of defect and quantum confinement–related emission in the SRO, as well as to defects found in an oxynitride transition zone that forms between the oxide and the nitride films, while ruling out quantum-confinement phenomena in the silicon nitride.

Functionalization of a Fully Integrated Electrophotonic Silicon Circuit for Biotin Sensing

“…Figure 4 shows the PL emission spectra of the samples when excited with a 330 nm wavelength light source. The contribution to photoemission of the non-functionalized Si 3 N 4 surface presents a characteristic peak with a maximum intensity of around 500 nm, which agrees with the PL emission by Si 3 N 4 recorded in [ 29 ]. The origin of this light emission can be attributed to a combination of transition states between the Si 3 N 4 and oxide (produced during the hydroxylation process), nitride dangling bonds, and probably also surface defects induced by the OH groups [ 29 , 30 ].…”

“…The contribution to photoemission of the non-functionalized Si 3 N 4 surface presents a characteristic peak with a maximum intensity of around 500 nm, which agrees with the PL emission by Si 3 N 4 recorded in [ 29 ]. The origin of this light emission can be attributed to a combination of transition states between the Si 3 N 4 and oxide (produced during the hydroxylation process), nitride dangling bonds, and probably also surface defects induced by the OH groups [ 29 , 30 ]. A similar PL response is observed when the samples are functionalized, where only a slight rise in PL intensity is measured, as expected due to the presence of the APTES and GTA molecules [ 30 , 31 ].…”

“…However, the main drawback of the EPh system lies in the low light intensity emitted by the LEC translating into low current I photo intensities in the pA–nA range. The experimental electroluminescence spectra of these SRO-based LECs have been measured to extend from blue to near-infrared, with two main peaks that vary with the V LEC applied across the structure [ 29 ]. Much effort is being put into enhancing the light-emission intensities of the LECs by texturizing the substrate’s surface to promote larger electric field intensities around nanostructured sharp tips [ 36 ], but the extremely self-contained and close integration of the system also represents that it is possible to detect changes in photocurrent values much lower than in other systems, which also relaxes the requirement for high emission intensities [ 8 ].…”

Understanding the Light Detection in an Integrated Novel Electrophotonic Wavesensor Photodetector

“…After the fabrication, electrical and optical simulations were performed. Substrate and source contacts were biased to 0 V, and the gate voltage was −5 V. The drain voltage was varied from 0 V to 5 V. The light source was modeled using a uniform beam with wavelength (λ) of 600 nm and light power (P in ) varied from 0 nW to 50 nW, as reported for SRO-based light sources [12]. Figure 2 shows the 2D schematic of the WS.…”

“…However, one of the major challenges to tackle remains the improvement of their relatively low light emission powers [9][10][11]. One of the most promising silicon compatible light sources reported is the Light Emitting Capacitor (LEC), which uses Silicon Rich Oxide (SRO) as an active light emission layer [12][13][14][15]. The light emission of the SRO-based MOS-like structures ranges from the visible to the near infrared, and they are completely integrable with existing photonic elements based on silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).…”