Nanolaminate Films Research Articles

Interface State Reduction by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Homogeneous Ternary Oxides.

Homogeneous ternary oxides of silicon-, niobium-, and molybdenum-aluminate were deposited by plasma-enhanced ALD using sequential metal precursor pulses prior to the oxidation step, to reduce interfacial defects usually observed in nanolaminate growth. The growth kinetics can be understood in terms of competitive adsorption. Trimethyl aluminum (TMA) is strongly chemisorbed to the growth surface and does not permit coadsorption of any of the other precursors; when we lead with a TMA pulse, the resulting film is always Al2O3. When we lead with the Si or Nb precursors, the growth surface is partially saturated, but open sites are available for TMA coadsorption. The Mo precursor is weakly chemisorbed and is largely displaced by a subsequent TMA dose. As compared to nanolaminate films of the constituent binary oxides, the interface state density is reduced by up to a factor of 5.

Exploration of the green electroluminescence from Al2O3/Ho2O3 nanolaminate films fabricated by atomic layer deposition on silicon

Green electroluminescence (EL) at 548 nm is obtained from the silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor light-emitting devices (MOSLEDs) based on the Al 2 O 3 /Ho 2 O 3 nanolaminate films fabricated by atomic layer deposition. The emerald green EL from Ho 3+ ions presents a maximum power density of 0.2 mW/cm 2 , and the excitation cross section up to 4.8 × 10 −16 cm 2 , which is attributed to the impact excitation of the Ho 3+ ions by hot electrons in Al 2 O 3 matrix via Poole–Frenkel mechanism. The critical distance for cross relaxation between Ho 2 O 3 dopant layers is ~3.0 nm, concerning both the EL intensities and the lifetime characterizations, which is consistent with previous reports. The difference resulting in the lower excitation efficiency from these Al 2 O 3 /Ho 2 O 3 MOSLEDs is speculated to originate from the non-radiative cross-relaxation within the Ho 3+ ions due to the abundant energy levels between the excited and ground states. • Electroluminescence from Al 2 O 3 /Ho 2 O 3 nanolaminates is realized on Si substrate. • The emerald green electroluminescence shows a maximum power density of 0.2 mW/cm 2 . • The excitation cross section ranges among 1.8 to 4.8 × 10 −16 cm 2 . • Exploration on distance among dopants layers reveals a critical thickness of ~3 nm. • Nonradiative cross-relaxation restricts the efficiency and lifetime of Ho emissions.

Successive layer-by-layer deposition of metal (Mo, Ag)/BN/MoS2 nanolaminate films and the electric properties of BN/MoS2 heterostructure on different metal substrates

In this work, the M/MoS2 and M/BN/MoS2 (M = Ag or Mo) nanolaminate films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering via successive layer-by-layer deposition at room temperature, followed by annealing at 500 °C. And then, the BN/MoS2 heterostructure with clean and tight interface were successfully prepared on different metal electrode layers. The results show that the first deposited metal (Mo or Ag) layer strongly influences the morphology of the top MoS2 layer, while inserting a BN layer promotes its influence. The results of electric property test indicate the resistivity of the Mo/BN/MoS2 film at the linear part of E–J curve is higher than that of Ag/BN/MoS2 film but the Mo/MoS2 film is lower than the Ag/MoS2 film in total resistivity, confirming Mo is more suitable than Ag as the electrode material for the MoS2-BN based two-dimensional (2D) electronic devices. This work supplies a simple way for the low-temperature continuous fabrication of 2D MoS2-BN-based integrated devices.

The characteristic evolution of TiO2/Al2O3 bilayer films produced by ALD: Effect of substrate type and wide range annealing temperature

Abstract Single bilayer (1BL) of TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate films were grown on n-Si (100) and glass substrates via Atomic Layer Deposition technique. Films were deposited using tetrakis (dimethylamino)titanium(IV), trimethylaluminum and water vapor as precursors at a reactor temperature of 200 °C. Post deposition annealing was performed on the grown nanolaminate films in a wide variable temperature range (300–1100 °C) to investigate evolution of crystal properties in detail. The films were studied with grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Crystal structures of the films revealed different combinations of three phases that belong to TiO2. Phase transformations of TiO2 and Al2O3 were determined as a result of annealing. Atomic force microscopy images together with roughness values of TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate films showed a trend associated with crystal structure changes. Optical measurements revealed that the indirect band gap of films which produced on glass substrate decreased with respect to bulk TiO2 and prior reports.

Nanolaminated Al2O3/HfO2 dielectrics for silicon carbide based devices

Nanolaminated aluminum oxide (Al2O3)/hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films as well as single Al2O3 and HfO2 layers have been grown as gate dielectrics by the plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition technique on silicon carbide (4H-SiC) substrates. All the three dielectric films have been deposited at a temperature as low as 250 °C, with a total thickness of about 30 nm, and, in particular, the nanolaminated Al2O3/HfO2 films have been fabricated by alternating nanometric Al2O3 and HfO2 layers. The structural characteristics and dielectric properties of the nanolaminated Al2O3/HfO2 films have been evaluated and compared to those of the parent Al2O3 and HfO2 single layers. Moreover, the structural properties and their evolution upon annealing treatment at 800 °C have been investigated as a preliminar test for their possible implementation in the device fabrication flow chart. On the basis of the collected data, the nanolaminated films demonstrated to possess promising dielectric behavior with respect to the simple oxide layers.

Control of interaction between Tm2O3 layers in electroluminescent Al2O3/ Tm2O3 nanolaminate films fabricated by atomic layer deposition

The interaction between single Tm2O3 layers in electroluminescent Al2O3/Tm2O3 nanolaminate films fabricated by atomic layer deposition, is investigated through the adjustment of the Al2O3 spacer layer thickness and annealing temperature. The EL intensities and decay time from different energy levels of the Tm3+ ions in Al2O3/Tm2O3 nanolaminates are explored, all of which derive a ∼1.5 nm Förster distance, manifesting a critical distance of ∼3 nm to eliminate the non-radiative interaction between adjacent Tm2O3 layers, which quenches the excited electrons to the ground energy level rather than relax to lower excited states. The diffusion of Tm3+ ions and resulting cluster formation under high temperature annealing also influence the abovementioned interaction, and 800 °C is suitable to minimize the diffusion while activate Tm3+ emissions. This work provides the basis for the exploitation of rare earth-doped nanolaminates in optical communication and silicon-based optoelectronics.

MOS Capacitance Measurements for PEALD TiO2 Dielectric Films Grown under Different Conditions and the Impact of Al2O3 Partial-Monolayer Insertion.

In this paper, we report the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) of TiO2 and TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate films on p-Si(100) to fabricate metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. In the PEALD process, we used titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as a titanium precursor, trimethyl aluminum (TMA) as an aluminum precursor and O2 plasma as an oxidant, keeping the process temperature at 250 °C. The effects of PEALD process parameters, such as RF power, substrate exposure mode (direct or remote plasma exposure) and Al2O3 partial-monolayer insertion (generating a nanolaminate structure) on the physical and chemical properties of the TiO2 films were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), Raman spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. The MOS capacitor structures were fabricated by evaporation of Al gates through mechanical mask on PEALD TiO2 thin film, followed by evaporation of an Al layer on the back side of the Si substrate. The capacitors were characterized by current density-voltage (J-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) measurements. Our results indicate that RF power and exposure mode promoted significant modifications on the characteristics of the PEALD TiO2 films, while the insertion of Al2O3 partial monolayers allows the synthesis of TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate with well-spaced crystalline TiO2 grains in an amorphous structure. The electrical characterization of the MOS structures evidenced a significant leakage current in the accumulation region in the PEALD TiO2 films, which could be reduced by the addition of partial-monolayers of Al2O3 in the bulk of TiO2 films or by reducing RF power.

(Invited) Phonon Engineering for Improved Seebeck Coefficient and Thermal Conductivity of Thermoelectric Nanolaminate Films Synthesized on Porous Templates

Recently promising advances have been achieved with phononic crystal (PnC) nanostructures in thermoelectric materials, because the thermal conductivity of PnC samples is lower compared to non-patterned thermoelectric samples due to phonon-boundary scattering. In this study we report on the successful synthesis of PbTe and PbSe thermoelectric layers on patterned porous silicon substrates by a thermal ALD system. PbTe/PbSe nanolaminates grown on porous silicon membranes have higher Seebeck coefficients than the ones grown on regular planar silicon wafers. The higher Seebeck values result from the lower thermal conductivity k in porous structures, which in turn lead to a higher figure of merit ZT. We demonstrate the feasibility to enhance the figure of merit ZT further by modulating the size and periodicity of the pattern and the thickness of the thermoelectric film in relation to the mean free path (MFP) of the phonons of the thermoelectric material. In our study PbTe and PbSe thin films and nanolaminates were synthesized by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology on regular planar silicon wafers and on macro-porous silicon templates. ALD is a surface saturating, self-limiting, absolutely conformal thin film synthesis technique reacting two pulsed precursors that enable film growth of one atomic layer per growth cycle. Lead bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato) (Pb(C11H19O2)2), (trimethylsilyl) telluride ((Me3Si)2Te) and (trimethylsilyl) selenide ((Me3Si)2Se) were employed as the chemical ALD precursors for lead, tellurium and selenium, respectively. The surface morphology observations indicate Volmer–Weber growth mechanism of PbTe/PbSe nanolaminates during the thermal ALD deposition process rather than classic layer-by-layer growth. The ALD PbTe/PbSe nanolaminates exhibited complete surface coverage on planar bulk silicon wafers and also inside the pores of microporous silicon membranes. For the case of porous Si templates, the Seebeck measurements in both the horizontal and vertical directions revealed significant enhancement in Seebeck coefficients for PbTe/PbSe nanolaminates synthesized inside strictly periodic lithographically defined porous silicon membranes.

Direct measurement of anisotropic conductivity in a nanolaminated (Mn0.5Cr0.5)2GaC thin film

The direct and parameter-free measurement of anisotropic electrical resistivity of a magnetic Mn+1AXn (MAX) phase film is presented. A multitip scanning tunneling microscope is used to carry out 4-probe transport measurements with variable probe spacing s. The observation of the crossover from the 3D regime for small s to the 2D regime for large s enables the determination of both in-plane and perpendicular-to-plane resistivities ρab and ρc. A (Cr0.5Mn0.5)2GaC MAX phase film shows a large anisotropy ratio ρc/ρab=525±49. This is a consequence of the complex bonding scheme of MAX phases with covalent M–X and metallic M–M bonds in the MX planes and predominately covalent, but weaker bonds between the MX and A planes.

High Sensitivity Au-based Kretschmann Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Urea Detection

Kretschmann-based Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) optical sensor was applied to detect the presence of kidney wastes such as urea in solutions. To enhance the sensitivity of the SPR sensor, nanolaminated gold film (thickness of 50 nm) was used. In this work, the SPR response to urea in various concentrations were measured and investigated using optical wavelengths of 670 nm and 785 nm. The signals were compared between pure urea solution versus mixed solution in the presence of the 0.227 μmol urease enzyme. The proposed mixed solution is to eliminate doping and gel entrapment process for enzyme immobilization in conventional method. Angular interrogation technique was used to measure the sensor performance in urea detection using pure and mixed solutions with urea concentration of 0 - 800 mM. Upon exposure to mixed solution using 785 nm optical wavelength, the nanolaminated gold film exhibited higher SPR sensitivity as much as 7.8 M-1 than a pure urea solution (1.4 M-1). The coupling activity between urea and urease molecules in the mixed solution near the nanolaminated gold film surface lead to sensitivity enhancement. Angle shifting of mixed solution on 50 nm-thick nanolaminated gold film using 670 nm optical wavelength was greater by ~50% compared to 785 nm. Sensorgram data shows a steady and linear increment in SPR incident angle shifting when urea concentration increased. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Kretschmann-based SPR has been used for urea sensing at 670 nm and 785 nm optical wavelengths.

Refractive Index and Sensing of Glucose Molarities determined using Au-Cr K-SPR at 670/785 nm Wavelength

In this paper, we determine the optical refractive indices of different molarities of glucose using nano-laminated gold/chromium (Au-Cr) thin film via Kretschmann-based Surface Plasmon Resonance (K-SPR) sensing with angular interrogation. The nano-laminated Au-Cr K-SPR sensor detects the glucose presence in low- and high-concentration of 4-12 mmol/L and 55-277 mmol/L, respectively, under the exposure of 670 nm and 785 nm optical wavelengths. The experimental results showed that the minimum limit of detection (LOD) of Au-Cr K-SPR is 4 mmol/L and the glucose sensor sensitivities are in average of 3.41 o/M and 2.73o/M at 670 nm and 785 nm optical wavelength, respectively. Stable sensitivity for each concentration also shown from the sensorgram results, indicates the stable performance of nano-laminated Au-Cr SPR sensor to detect glucose in the range from mmol/L up to dmol/L. Values of refractive indices for glucose molarities obtained are 1.33187 (4 mmol/L) and 1.3191 (4 mmol/L) at 670 and 785 nm wavelength, respectively. These RI values are beneficial for numerical simulation of glucose sensors using nano-laminated Au-Cr thin films which have been reported for the first time. The sensor can be eventually deployed in integrated photonic sensing devices comprising of multiple analyte detection for lab-on-chip (LoC) and point-of care (PoC) applications.

Effect of deposition temperature on hydrophobic CrN/AlTiN nanolaminate composites deposited by Multi-Arc-Ion Plating

A serious of CrN/AlTiN nanolaminate films with different deposition temperatures were synthesized by Multi-Arc-Ion Plating (MAIP). The composition and microstructural evolution, hydrophobicity, and mechanical properties of CrN/AlTiN nanolaminate films were studied. It was found that these films were structured by FCC metal nitride phases and the preferred orientation changed form (111) to (200) with the deposition temperature increased to 450 °C. The SEM and TEM results showed that the rate of deposition as well as modulation period increased as the deposition temperature increased. On the contrary, the amount of macroparticles on the film's surface and the Cr content [Cr/(Cr + Ti + Al) ratio] decreased as the temperature increased. Among these films, CrN/AlTiN nanolaminate films deposited at 450 °C exhibited the highest hardness (∼37 GPa), lowest coefficient of friction (0.17). The contact angle (CA) results showed that the CrN/AlTiN nanolaminate composites films were hydrophobic and could be superhydrophobic after modification, which provided a new insight to prepare robust superhydrophobic films.

Blue Electroluminescent Al₂O₃/Tm₂O₃ Nanolaminate Films Fabricated by Atomic Layer Deposition on Silicon.

Realization of a silicon-based light source is of significant importance for the future development of optoelectronics and telecommunications. Here, nanolaminate Al2O3/Tm2O3 films are fabricated on silicon utilizing atomic layer deposition, and intense blue electroluminescence (EL) from Tm3+ ions is achieved in the metal-oxide-semiconductor structured luminescent devices based on them. Precise control of the nanolaminates enables the study on the influence of the Tm dopant layers and the distance between every Tm2O3 layer on the EL performance. The 456 nm blue EL from Tm3+ ions shows a maximum power density of 0.15 mW/cm2. The EL intensities and decay lifetime decrease with excessive Tm dopant cycles due to the reduction of optically active Tm3+ ions. Cross-relaxation among adjacent Tm2O3 dopant layers reduces the blue EL intensity and the decay lifetime, which strongly depends on the Al2O3 sublayer thickness, with a critical value of ~3 nm. The EL is attributed to the impact excitation of the Tm3+ ions by hot electrons in Al2O3 matrix via Poole–Frenkel mechanism.

Fracture Mechanics and Oxygen Gas Barrier Properties of Al₂O₃/ZnO Nanolaminates on PET Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Rapid progress in the performance of organic devices has increased the demand for advances in the technology of thin-film permeation barriers and understanding the failure mechanisms of these material systems. Herein, we report the extensive study of mechanical and gas barrier properties of Al2O3/ZnO nanolaminate films prepared on organic substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Nanolaminates of Al2O3/ZnO and single compound films of around 250 nm thickness were deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foils by ALD at 90 °C using trimethylaluminium (TMA) and diethylzinc (DEZ) as precursors and H2O as the co-reactant. STEM analysis of the nanolaminate structure revealed that steady-state film growth on PET is achieved after about 60 ALD cycles. Uniaxial tensile strain experiments revealed superior fracture and adhesive properties of single ZnO films versus the single Al2O3 film, as well as versus their nanolaminates. The superior mechanical performance of ZnO was linked to the absence of a roughly 500 to 900 nm thick sub-surface growth observed for single Al2O3 films as well as for the nanolaminates starting with an Al2O3 initial layer on PET. In contrast, the gas permeability of the nanolaminate coatings on PET was measured to be 9.4 × 10−3 O2 cm3 m−2 day−1. This is an order of magnitude less than their constituting single oxides, which opens prospects for their applications as gas barrier layers for organic electronics and food and drug packaging industries. Direct interdependency between the gas barrier and the mechanical properties was not established enabling independent tailoring of these properties for mechanically rigid and impermeable thin film coatings.

3D 3C-SiC/Graphene Hybrid Nanolaminate Films for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

High-performance supercapacitors feature big and stable capacitances and high power and energy densities. To fabricate high-performance supercapacitors, 3D 3C-SiC/graphene hybrid nanolaminate films are grown via a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. Such films consist of 3D alternating structures of vertically aligned 3C-SiC and graphene layers, leading to high surface areas and excellent conductivity. They are further applied as the capacitor electrodes to construct electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) and pseudocapacitors (PCs) in both aqueous and organic solutions. The capacitance for an EDLC in aqueous solutions is up to 549.9 µF cm-2 , more than 100 times higher than that of an epitaxial 3C-SiC film. In organic solutions, it is 297.3 µF cm-2 . The pseudocapacitance in redox-active species (0.05 Fe(CN)6 3-/4- ) contained aqueous solutions is as high as 62.2 mF cm-2 . The capacitance remains at 98% of the initial value after 2500 charging/discharging cycles, indicating excellent cyclic stability. In redox-active species (0.01 m ferrocene) contained organic solutions, it is 16.6 mF cm-2 . Energy and power densities of a PC in aqueous solution are 11.6 W h kg-1 and 5.1 kW kg-1 , respectively. These vertically aligned 3C-SiC/graphene hybrid nanolaminate films are thus promising electrode materials for energy storage applications.

Urea and creatinine detection on nano-laminated gold thin film using Kretschmann-based surface plasmon resonance biosensor.

This work investigates the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) response of 50-nm thick nano-laminated gold film using Kretschmann-based biosensing for detection of urea and creatinine in solution of various concentrations (non-enzymatic samples). Comparison was made with the presence of urease and creatininase enzymes in the urea and creatinine solutions (enzymatic samples), respectively. Angular interrogation technique was applied using optical wavelengths of 670 nm and 785 nm. The biosensor detects the presence of urea and creatinine at concentrations ranging from 50–800 mM for urea samples and 10–200 mM for creatinine samples. The purpose of studying the enzymatic sample was mainly to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor towards urea and creatinine in the samples. Upon exposure to 670 nm optical wavelength, the sensitivity of 1.4°/M was detected in non-enzymatic urea samples and 4°/M in non-enzymatic creatinine samples. On the other hand, sensor sensitivity as high as 16.2°/M in urea-urease samples and 10°/M in creatinine-creatininase samples was detected. The enhanced sensitivity possibly attributed to the increase in refractive index of analyte sensing layer due to urea-urease and creatinine-creatininase coupling activity. This work has successfully proved the design and demonstrated a proof-of-concept experiment using a low-cost and easy fabrication of Kretschmann based nano-laminated gold film SPR biosensor for detection of urea and creatinine using urease and creatininase enzymes.

Synergistic gas diffusion multilayer architecture based on the nanolaminate and inorganic-organic hybrid organic layer

Al2O3 films have long been widely used as inorganic encapsulation or passivation layers. The Al2O3 single layer, however, exhibits not only a relatively low barrier performance but also poor environmental stability under harsh conditions due to its hydrolysis reaction with water vapor. Thus, to further improve its environmental reliability and barrier performance as a gas diffusion barrier (GDB), the GDB should be newly designed by forming a nanolaminate structure with ultra-thin sublayers. In addition, through the use of a multilayer based on nanolaminate/organic layers, the nanolaminate film can be effectively protected by a SiO2-inserted organic layer. In this study, alternately stacked nanolaminate/silane-based organic layers are proposed. The nanolaminate-based multilayer achieved a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 5.94 × 10−5 g/m2/day under 60°C/90% accelerated conditions. In addition, after a bending test, the nanolaminate-based multilayer showed a WVTR increase by a magnitude of one order under a 0.63% bending strain. The proposed environmentally and mechanically stable hybrid thin-film encapsulation offers a strong potential for the realization of washable, wearable, or flexible displays in the future.

Tribocorrosion behavior of TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate, Al2O3, and TiO2 thin films produced by atomic layer deposition

Metallic materials are the most widely used for orthopedic applications and, their corrosion resistance is one of the main prerequisites for avoiding impairment of the material properties due to degradation. Ti-6Al-4V is one of the main medical titanium alloys. However, for permanent implant applications, this alloy may cause toxic effect due to release of vanadium and aluminum. Nanolaminates of alternatively ordered thin films of transition metal oxides with nanoscale thickness are known to have distinct properties of a single layer film. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a promising method for fabrication of thin sealing coatings for corrosion protection. These films can also be used as in vivo sensors to antedate the detection of diseases such as cancer, to inform the best treatments, and to understand the response to therapies. The ideal in vivo sensor should be non-toxic, biocompatible, stable, and very sensitive. In this work, TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminate, Al2O3 and TiO2 thin films were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V substrates by using ALD and their structure, adhesion and tribocorrosion properties were analyzed. The tribocorrosion tests were performed in Ringer's solution. The coatings showed to protect the sample surface evidenced by the increase on the OCP both in static mode and in dynamic mode. The TiO2/Al2O3 nanolaminates presented lower friction coefficient.

Nano-laminated thin film metallic glass design for outstanding mechanical properties

We report the enhancement of fracture toughness and strength of a cobalt‑tantalum-based metallic glass thin film with increasing boron content. The improvement of the mechanical performance is attributed to the formation of a compositionally lamellar compared to uniform glass microstructure, which becomes thinner with increasing boron content as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Compositional variations across the lamellar structure are revealed by atom probe tomography. Cobalt- and boron-rich regions alternate sequentially, whereas tantalum exhibits slight variations across the lamellae. Our results can be utilized in future design efforts for metallic glass thin films with outstanding mechanical performance.

Electroluminescent Yb2O3:Er and Yb2Si2O7:Er nanolaminate films fabricated by atomic layer deposition on silicon

Atomic layer doped Yb2O3:Er and Yb2Si2O7:Er nanolaminate films are fabricated on silicon by atomic layer deposition, and ∼1530 nm electroluminescence (EL) is obtained from the metal-oxide-semiconductor light-emitting devices (MOSLEDs) based on these films. The Yb2O3 films transfer to Yb2Si2O7 phase after annealing above 1000 °C. Intense photoluminescence from Yb2Si2O7 film confirms high efficiency and energy transfer under optical excitation, but the limited electron conduction restricts the EL performance. EL from the Yb2O3:Er MOSLED outperforms, presenting an external quantum efficiency up to 8.5% and the power efficiency of 1 × 10−3. The EL is derived to result from the impact excitation of Er3+ ions by hot electrons, which stem from Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism under sufficient bias voltage. The critical distance for the cross relaxation of doped Er3+ ions in nanolaminate Yb2O3 matrix is experimentally determined to be ∼3 nm. Such devices manifest the technological potential of Er-doped Yb-oxides for applications in silicon-based optoelectronics.