A new class of silicon-based light-emitting diode is demonstrated using InSb-quantum-dot-embedded Si containing the emissive {311} rod-like defects (RLDs). A narrow peak centered at 1377 nm (900 meV) characteristic of the {311} RLDs was found to develop out of an otherwise broad background electroluminescence (EL) upon the application of electric fields in the growth direction. Such electric-field-active EL was observed up to 150 K with a slight downward shift of the peak energies, accompanied by an anomaly in the thermal roll-off of the EL intensity. Spectral variations with temperature and electric field indicate a switching of dominance between the closely correlated defect states that are responsible for the EL emission.

We demonstrate a Si-based light-emitting diode (LED) with MHz modulation capability containing a certain class of light-emitting defects in the active region. The emission spectra are characterized by a narrow peak centered at 900 meV (1377 nm), hereafter referred to as E-line, which is attributed to the {311} defects inherent to cubic crystals with the diamond sublattice. The luminescence intensity of the E-line was found to go through a maximum around 20K persisting above 150 K. In spite of the decay lifetimes even longer than 1μs, 31% amplitude modulation was achieved for 1-MHz rectangular pulses at 20 K while near 10-MHz bandwidth was obtained for dynamic operation with modulated pulse widths.