Features of erbium nonradiative deexcitation and electroluminescence temperature quenching in sublimation MBE-grown Si:Er/Si diode structures

Temperature dependencies of electroluminescence intensity and decay kinetics from n-Si:Er:O/p-Si diodes, grown by sublimation molecular-beam epitaxy, have been studied. Radiative lifetime of excited Er3+ ion (1.1 ms) and activation energy of the nonradiative deexcitation process (70 meV) have been measured. Contribution of nonradiative deexcitation of erbium ions to the temperature quenching of electroluminescence has been determined. It is revealed that considerable part of luminescence temperature quenching is due to the decrease in erbium excitation efficiency with an increase in temperature.