Chapter 4 Erbium in Silicon

Abstract

This chapter describes erbium (Er) in silicon (Si). Silicon is the dominating material in semiconductor manufacturing. Ninety-five percent of all semiconductor devices fabricated are based on Si. Although Si is technologically superb for electronic applications in terms of integration, control and cost,it is nonexistent in the emerging optoelectronic market. Erbium in Si has several advantages over other Si-based light emitters. Erbium, like other rare-earth metals, emits light at the same wavelength independently of the host. This emission is due to the excited states of the 4f manifold of the trivalent Er. The transition from the lowest excited state yields light at 1.54 μm, compatible with low loss optical fibers. The emission energy is independent of the temperature and the line width is only about 100 Ǻ at room temperature compared to several thousand Ǻngstroms in 111-V materials. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) has been reported from Er doped Si by several research groups.