Realization of 1.54 μm electroluminescence via silicon-based erbium-doped SnO₂ film devices

Abstract

1.54 μm telecom-wavelength electroluminescence is achieved by erbium-doped SnO2 film devices fabricated on silicon wafers. Employing fluorine as a co-dopant, the electroluminescence intensity is increased due to enhanced electrical injection of the device and improved optical activity of the erbium ions. The realization of electroluminescence can be ascribed to the inelastic impact with erbium ions through the hot electrons originating from different electrical conduction mechanisms, by controlling the SiOx interlayer thickness. Herein, the device based on the co-doped film presents a low turn-on voltage of 4.4 V. Via further regulating the annealing condition, the co-doped device obtains a maximum optical power density of 92.2 μW/cm2 at 1.55 μm, with an operating lifetime of more than 190 h in the atmosphere. This work clarifies the broad application prospects for SnO2 devices in silicon photonics technology.

Effects of oxygen vacancies on the optical and electrical performances of silicon-based Er doped Ga2O3 films

“…As a kind of traditional effective luminescent material, rare earth ions have been widely used in the illumination and display fields owing to the high intensity and constant emission wavelength [18][19][20]. Among all the rare earth elements, erbium (Er) has attracted extra attention because the abundant energy levels within Er 3+ ions make the optical excitation easily accessible, and the ∼1.54 µm intra-4f transition of Er 3+ ions from 4 I 13/2 to 4 I 15/2 is situated in the minimum loss-window of quartz fiber, strategically important for the exploration of silicon-based light sources [21,22].…”