Modification of erbium photoluminescence decay rate due to ITO layers on thin films of SiO2:Er doped with Si-nanoclusters

During the fabrication of MOS light emitting devices, the thin film of active material is usually characterized by photoluminescence measurements before electrical contacts are deposited. However, the presence of a conductive contact layer can alter the luminescent properties of the active material. The local optical density of states changes due to the proximity of luminescent species to the interface with the conductive medium (the top electrode), and this modifies the radiative rate of luminescent centers within the active layer. In this paper we report enhancement of the observed erbium photoluminescence rate after deposition of indium tin oxide contacts on thin films of SiO2:Er containing silicon nanoclusters, and relate this to Purcell enhancement of the erbium radiative rate.