Electroluminescence from Er-doped Si-rich silicon nitride light emitting diodes

Electrical devices based on Erbium (Er) doping of silicon nitride have been fabricated by reactive cosputtering and intense, room temperature Er electroluminescence was observed in the visible (527, 550, and 660 nm) and near-infrared (980 and 1535 nm) spectral ranges at low injection voltages (< 5 V EL turn on). The electrical transport mechanism in these devices was investigated and the excitation cross section for the 1535 nm Er emission was measured under electrical pumping, resulting in a value (1.2x10(-15) cm(2)) comparable to optical pumping. These results indicate that Er-doped silicon nitride has a large potential for the engineering of light sources compatible with Si technology. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3483771]