Enhanced electroluminescence of silicon-rich silicon nitride light-emitting devices by NH3 plasma and annealing treatment

Silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) films were deposited on p-type silicon substrates using a conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. Before deposition, silicon substrate was pre-treated by NH3 plasma in the PECVD system. And devices with metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structure were fabricated using indium tin oxides (ITO) as anode and aluminum (Al) film as cathode. It was found that after 1100 °C annealing the electroluminescence (EL) intensity of NH3 plasma pre-treated MIS devices was increased greatly comparing with that of without NH3 plasma pre-treated devices. It is due to the passivation or reducing of interfacial states and nonradiative defects in SRSN films by the NH3 plasma pre-treatment and high-temperature annealing that enhanced the EL intensity of the SRSN MIS devices.