Self-consistent Recombination Scheme in Porous Silicon Under Intense Laser Excitation

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the general characteristics of nonradiative and radiative recombination of charge carriers in strongly excited porous silicon is presented. It is shown that photoconductivity, photomagnetoelectric effect, quantum yield, and intensity of visible radiation of porous silicon demonstrates strong nonlinearities against laser excitation intensity. It is suggested that the band-to-band Auger recombination is dominant similar to that in crystalline silicon, whereas the visible luminescence is determined by the bimolecular process. The nonequilibrium density of charge carriers Δn ≈ 1019 cm−3, and the bimolecular radiative recombination coefficient Brad ≤ 9 × 10−14 cm3/s have been found.