Influence of electric field on spectral positions of dislocation-related luminescence peaks in silicon: Stark effect

Abstract

Spectral positions of dislocation-related luminescence (DRL) peaks from dislocation loops located close to a p-n junction in silicon were shifted by carrier injection level. We suppose that the excitonic transition energies of DRL were reduced by an effective electric field at dislocation sites due to quadratic Stark effect (QSE). The field results from built-in junction field reduced by carrier injection. A constant of the shift, obtained from fitting of the data with QSE equation, was 0.0186meV∕(kV∕cm)2. The effect can explain the diversity of DRL spectra in silicon and may allow tuning and modulation of DRL for future photonic applications.