Charge collection mapping of the back-transfer process in Er-doped silicon

Abstract

Charge collection analyses have been carried out on Er-doped silicon to investigate the excitation and de-excitation mechanisms of the Er3+ ion related to the λ=1.54 μm luminescence. Carrier recombination and trapping at the defective states induced in the material by the presence of Er play a significant role in the excitation of the Er3+ ion and in its nonradiative decay by the energy back-transfer process. We have obtained a two-dimensional map of the lattice sites where the back-transfer process occurs, and provided experimental proof of the cooperation of two different defects in the excitation and de-excitation processes.