Er3+ luminescence in a-SiOx:H

Among the luminescent rare earth ions erbium is a favourable candidate for the incorporation into silicon based host materials due to its intra-4f transition at 1.54 μm, the transmission maximum of optical fibres. Disadvantages of Er in c-Si such as the limited solubility, the strongly quenched room temperature luminescence (PL) and the need for co-doping with oxygen could be overcome by using amorphous hydrogenated silicon suboxides (a-SiOx:H) as a host matrix. Suboxides have enhanced Er solubility and variable oxygen contents provide favourable erbium environments and reduced excitation backtransfer. Er3+ doses up to 7×1014 cm−2 were implanted into SiOx with oxygen contents from 0 to 50 at.%. The behaviour of the intrinsic SiOx and the erbium photoluminescence (PL) was measured and analysed as a function of Er implantation dose, oxygen content, defect density and temperature.