Visible and 1.54 $\mu$ m Emission From Amorphous Silicon Nitride Films by Reactive Cosputtering

In this paper, we present our main results on the structural and optical properties of light-emitting amorphous silicon nitride (SiNx) films fabricated by reactive magnetron cosputtering. In particular, we discuss the origin of the visible emission in amorphous silicon nitride films and investigate the optical emission properties of Erbium-doped amorphous silicon nitride (Er:SiNx). The mechanisms of Er excitation and de-excitation in Er:SiNx are discussed in relation to the engineering of efficient light sources at 1.54 μm for on-chip nanophotonics applications. These results suggest that Er-doped amorphous silicon nitride films have a large potential for the fabrication of optically active photonic devices based on the Si technology.