Signal Of El Research Articles

Close approximations to the sound of a cochlear implant.

Cochlear implant (CI) systems differ in terms of electrode design and signal processing. It is likely that patients fit with different implant systems will experience different percepts when presented speech via their implant. The sound quality of speech can be evaluated by asking single-sided-deaf (SSD) listeners fit with a cochlear implant (CI) to modify clean signals presented to their typically hearing ear to match the sound quality of signals presented to their CI ear. In this paper, we describe very close matches to CI sound quality, i.e., similarity ratings of 9.5 to 10 on a 10-point scale, by ten patients fit with a 28 mm electrode array and MED EL signal processing. The modifications required to make close approximations to CI sound quality fell into two groups: One consisted of a restricted frequency bandwidth and spectral smearing while a second was characterized by a wide bandwidth and no spectral smearing. Both sets of modifications were different from those found for patients with shorter electrode arrays who chose upshifts in voice pitch and formant frequencies to match CI sound quality. The data from matching-based metrics of CI sound quality document that speech sound-quality differs for patients fit with different CIs and among patients fit with the same CI.

Early signals of El Niño 2023 in the Gulf of California?

After a long La Niña event (2020-2023), the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration warned of a quick transition to an El Niño phase. As a monitoring of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) levels in the Gulf of California, Mexico, this study aims to show the evolution of both parameters during the first seven months of 2023. It compares them with the first seven months of 2015 when an extreme El Niño event occurred. Satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer were obtained from which maps of both variables were constructed to quantitatively assess the changes in the SST and the Chl-a levels during the selected periods. Satellite data/pixels were extracted from the southern region of the gulf, in the connection between the gulf and the open Pacific Ocean. The results showed a gradual increase in the SST values from February to July of 2023 with 20.43, 22.29, 22.77, 27.88, 28.72 and 31.64ºC, respectively (a thermal variation of 11.21ºC), while Chl-a levels showed a decrease over the same period, from 1.81, 1.10, 0.78, 0.24, 0.19 mg m-3 to unusually low values of 0.11 mg m-3, respectively (a reduction of 1.70 mg m-3). A similar pattern was found in 2015, with increased SST and decreased Chl-a. Were the observed patterns in 2023 the early signals of El Niño in the Gulf of California?

Understanding Contact Nonuniformities at Interfaces in Perovskite Silicon Tandem Solar Cells Using Luminescence Imaging, Lock‐In Thermography, and 2D/3D Simulations

The top cell of a perovskite silicon tandem solar cell requires several material layers on each side of the perovskite absorber to efficiently extract electrons and holes, respectively. These layers must meet multiple requirements simultaneously, namely, low interface recombination, good charge carrier selectivity, low contact resistivity, and high optical transparency. Due to the complex architecture, characterization techniques are required in material and process optimization to identify loss mechanisms. Spatial resolution of the characterization is gaining importance along with the upscaling of the perovskite technology. Herein, electro‐ and photoluminescence (EL and PL) imaging is combined with illuminated lock‐in thermography (ILIT) for a comprehensive electro‐optical characterization of both subcells in perovskite silicon tandem devices with state‐of‐the‐art cell architecture. Thereby, the combination of the presented characterization methods together with numerical simulation models enables to carry out holistic investigations of device limitations. The strength of this approach is showcased by one particularly remarkable feature that is observed in the investigated tandem device, showing a low PL but high EL signal at local spots. Together with multidimensional optoelectrical device simulations, the measurements are explained and the root cause of this feature to originate from the perovskite/C60 interface is suggested.

Contrasting projections of the ENSO-driven CO2flux variability in the equatorial Pacific under high-warming scenario

Abstract. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) widely modulates the global carbon cycle. More specifically, it alters the net uptake of carbon in the tropical ocean. Indeed, over the tropical Pacific less carbon is released by oceans during El Niño, while the opposite is the case for La Niña. Here, the skill of Earth system models (ESMs) from the latest Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to simulate the observed tropical Pacific CO2 flux variability in response to ENSO is assessed. The temporal amplitude and spatial extent of CO2 flux anomalies vary considerably among models, while the surface temperature signals of El Niño and La Niña phases are generally well represented. Under historical conditions followed by the high-warming Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP5-8.5) scenarios, about half the ESMs simulate a reversal in ENSO–CO2 flux relationship. This gradual shift, which occurs as early as the first half of the 21st century, is associated with a high CO2-induced increase in the Revelle factor that leads to stronger sensitivity of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) to changes in surface temperature between ENSO phases. At the same time, uptake of anthropogenic CO2 substantially increases upper-ocean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations (reducing its vertical gradient in the thermocline) and weakens the ENSO-modulated surface DIC variability. The response of the ENSO–CO2 flux relationship to future climate change is sensitive to the contemporary mean state of the carbonate ion concentration in the tropics. We present an emergent constraint between the simulated contemporary carbonate concentration with the projected cumulated CO2 fluxes. Models that simulate shifts in the ENSO–CO2 flux relationship simulate positive bias in surface carbonate concentrations.

Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity in Lombok Strait Reconstructed From Coral Sr/Ca and δ18O, 1962–2012

Coral geochemical tracers have been used in studies of the paleoclimatology and paleoceanography of the tropics and subtropics. We measured Sr/Ca and oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in a coral sample collected from the southern part of Lombok Strait, a significant outlet of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) to the Indian Ocean, to reconstruct the historical record of sea surface temperature (SST) and seawater δ18O. Seawater δ18O can be used to approximate sea surface salinity (SSS) because it reflects the balance of evaporation and precipitation. The resulting time series reconstructed SST and SSS, covering the period 1962–2012, shows no clear trend of global warming, although the record includes a large cooling event (~4°C) during 1996–1997. Although neither SST nor SSS shows a systematic relationship with El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), weak but significant correlations are found partly. In addition, the coral data show signals of major IOD and El Niño events in 1994 and 1997, respectively, although climatic trends recorded in the coral are not consistent with those found along the Java-Sumatra coast. To evaluate other influences on the ITF in Lombok Strait, we compared our coral record with coral records from sites in the Java Sea, the southern part of Makassar Strait, and Ombai Strait. During the northwest monsoon (December–January–February), variations in SST and SSS at Lombok Strait site are similar to those at the Java Sea and southern Makassar sites for the period 1962–1995, which suggests that low-salinity water from the Java Sea is carried at least to the southern part of Makassar Strait where it suppresses the ITF upstream from Lombok Strait. However, the SST and SSS records differ at the three sites during the southeast monsoon (June–July–August), indicating that surface conditions in Lombok Strait vary separately from those in the Java Sea. In the longer term, although global warming has been widely identified in the Indonesian Seas, the coral record shows no clear warming trend in the southern part of Lombok Strait, where fluctuations in the ITF may be modulating the distribution of heat in the surface waters of the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.

A novel precursory signal of the Central Pacific El Niño event: Eastern Pacific cooling mode

A novel precursory signal of the Central Pacific El Niño event: Eastern Pacific cooling mode

Longer Duration of the Weak Stratospheric Vortex During Extreme El Niño Events Linked to Spring Eurasian Coldness

AbstractThe stratosphere is a key link between El Niño and Eurasian surface climate in winter. Instead of the amplitude of the stratospheric response discussed by many previous studies, we focus on the persistence of wintertime extreme El Niño impacts through the stratospheric pathway to midlatitude Eurasia in spring. A novel approach is used by running WACCM4 with El Niño forcing imposed only during winter to isolate the stratospheric role in the following spring. We show that a descending signal with a strong deceleration of zonal wind throughout the atmosphere could reach the surface and persist in spring during extreme El Niño events, whereas during moderate El Niño events the signal is generally confined to the stratosphere. Two different mechanisms are involved in maintaining the tropospheric signal of extreme El Niño. Under the westerly regime, the planetary Rossby waves from the wave centers over East Asia and the North Pacific transmit the signals from the stratosphere to the troposphere; and under the easterly regime, strong tropospheric eddy feedback over the midlatitude Atlantic favors the persistence of tropospheric responses during extreme El Niño events. The prolonged stratospheric pathway of extreme El Niño events amplifies and extends the equatorward shift of the midlatitude jet, allowing southward intrusions of cold polar air into Eurasia. Such circulation changes induced by a prolonged stratospheric pathway can cause springtime coldness and daily cold extremes in midlatitude Eurasia.

Detecting Signals of Large‐Scale Climate Phenomena in Discharge and Nutrient Loads in the Mississippi‐Atchafalaya River Basin

AbstractAgricultural runoff from the Mississippi‐Atchafalaya River Basin delivers nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the Gulf of Mexico, causing hypoxia, and climate drives interannual variation in nutrient loads. Climate phenomena such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation may influence nutrient export through effects on river flow, nutrient uptake, or biogeochemical transformation, but landscape variation at smaller spatial scales can mask climate signals in load or discharge time series within large river networks. We used multivariate autoregressive state‐space modeling to investigate climate signals in the long‐term record (1979–2014) of discharge, N, P, and SiO2 loads at three nested spatial scales within the Mississippi‐Atchafalaya River Basin. We detected significant signals of El Niño–Southern Oscillation and land‐surface temperature anomalies in N loads but not discharge, SiO2, or P, suggesting that large‐scale climate phenomena contribute to interannual variation in nutrient loads through biogeochemical mechanisms beyond simple discharge‐load relationships.

Fluorene vs carbazole substituent at quinoline core toward organic electronics

Two novel 2,4-difluorenylquinoline derivatives with different length of alkyl chain at fluorene unit (Q-F1 with methyl and Q-F2 with octyl chain) of donor-acceptor (D-A) type were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. The compounds exhibited bright emission in the blue spectral region at 400 nm and high fluorescence efficiency of 63–97% in solution. The EL measurements of OLEDs with Q-F1, and for comparison 2,4-dicarbazolylquinoline (Q-C1) were performed to determine any correlations between the device performance and the different D units at quinoline core. These fluorenyl and carbazolyl substituted quinolines (Q-F1 and Q-C1) were found to display good thermal stability with a decomposition temperature of 301 and 416 °C, respectively. A molecule with carbazole units (Q-C1) dispersed in a host matrix exhibited higher PL quantum yield (15%) compared to Q-F1 (11%). The devices with structure ITO/PDOT:PSS/PVK:PBD:compound/Al with 15 (Q-F1) and 2 (Q-C1) wt. % of compound content in a blend were constructed. The diode based on Q-C1 emitted green light with EL maximum at 550 nm under an applied external voltage. Furthermore, by incorporation of a layer of plasmonically active silver nanowires into the device based on Q-C1 (ITO/PEDOT:PSS + AgNWs/PVK:PBD:Q-C1 (2 wt%)/Al) the noticeably more intense EL signal was detected. These results show that these compounds are promising candidates and may be used in organic light emitting devices.

Field and hot electron-induced degradation in GaN-based power MIS-HEMTs

We investigate the degradation of AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs submitted to gate step-stress experiments, and demonstrate the existence of field- and hot-electron induced processes. When the devices are submitted to gate-step stress with high VDS>50V, four different regimes are identified: (i) for VGS<−10V, no significant degradation is observed, since the devices are in the off-state; (ii) for −10V<VGS<0V, hot electrons flow through the channel, as demonstrated by the (measurable) electroluminescence signal. These hot electrons can be trapped within device structure, inducing an increase in the threshold voltage. (iii) for VGS>0V, the density of hot electrons is significantly reduced, due to the increased interface scattering and device temperature. As a consequence, EL signal drops to zero, and the electrons trapped during phase (ii) are de-trapped back to the channel, where they are attracted by the high 2DEG potential. (iv) Finally, for VGS>5V, a significant increase in threshold voltage is detected. This effect is observed only for high positive voltages, i.e. when a significant leakage current flows through the gate. Such gradual degradation is ascribed to the injection of electrons from the 2DEG to the gate insulator, which is a field-driven effect. These results were obtained by combined electrical and optical characterization carried out at different voltages during the step stress.

Human disturbance amplifies Amazonian El Niño-Southern Oscillation signal.

The long-term interaction between human activity and climate is subject to increasing scrutiny. Humans homogenize landscapes through deforestation, agriculture, and burning and thereby might reduce the capacity of landscapes to provide archives of climate change. Alternatively, land-use change might overwhelm natural buffering and amplify latent climate signals, rendering them detectable. Here we examine a sub-annually resolved sedimentary record from Lake Sauce in the western Amazonian lowlands that spans 6900years. Finely-laminated sediments were deposited from ca. 5000years ago until the present, and human activity in the watershed was revealed through the presence of charcoal and maize agriculture. The laminations, analyzed for color content and bandwidth, showed distinctive changes that were coupled to more frequent occurrence of fossil maize pollen. As agricultural activity intensified ca. 2200cal. BP, the 2- to 8-year periodicity characteristic of El Niño-Southern Oscillation became evident in the record. These agricultural activities appeared to have amplified an existing, but subtle climatic signal that was previously absorbed by natural vegetation. When agricultural activity slowed, or land use around Lake Sauce changed at ca. 800cal. BP, the signal of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity became erratic.

On the progress of the 2015–2016 El Niño event

Abstract. It has been recently reported that the current 2015–2016 El Niño could become "one of the strongest on record". To further explore this claim, we performed the new analysis described in detail in Varotsos et al. (2015) that allows the detection of precursory signals of the strong El Niño events by using a recently developed non-linear dynamics tool. In this context, the analysis of the Southern Oscillation Index time series for the period 1876–2015 shows that the running 2015–2016 El Niño would be rather a "moderate to strong" or even a "strong" event and not “one of the strongest on record", as that of 1997–1998.

Climate trends and variability in Ecuador (1966-2011)

This study detects climate trends and variability from precipitation and temperature observations in Ecuador and assesses their links to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) for the period 1966–2011, using the El Niño 1+2 and El Niño 3.4 indices. Excluding the Amazonian region (for which there is a lack of data), two main regions were distinguishable in terms of variability and trends among climate variables, especially for precipitation. In general, there was no trend in precipitation for the coastal region, and a very close relationship between the magnitude and seasonal distribution of precipitation and the El Niño 1+2 variability was found. In contrast, for the mountainous region (the Andes), there was an increase of precipitation during the study period, and a signal of El Niño 3.4 influence was detected. Temperatures were spatially homogeneous and showed an intense warming trend, except for maximum temperatures in the coastal region. The El Niño 1+2 influence on temperature was large from January to July. The results provide evidence of the close control exerted by the ENSO, especially in the coast of Ecuador, as well as for the occurrence of significant warming across the country independent of the ENSO phenomenon.

Signal of central Pacific El Niño in the Southern Hemispheric stratosphere during austral spring

AbstractUsing ERA‐Interim and Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis data sets, we investigated the effects of the central Pacific (CP) El Niño on the Southern Hemispheric (SH) stratosphere particularly during the austral spring. SH stratosphere warming is at a maximum in September rather than in November and December, as suggested by previous studies. SH stratospheric temperature anomalies become significant beginning in July and reach a peak of approximately 4 K in September, reflecting a weakened SH vortex and a strengthened SH stratospheric Brewer‐Dobson circulation. The anomalous Eliassen‐Palm flux and its divergence in the SH midlatitudes are most significantly enhanced in August, leading to the SH maximum stratospheric temperature anomalies approximately 1 month later. In the middle latitudes of the SH, the poleward and upward propagation of enhanced planetary waves (PWs) during the austral winter (July–September) causes anomalous SH polar warming and tropical cooling in the stratosphere. The wave number 1 (WN1) pattern is responsible for PW anomalies in August, whereas the WN2 pattern is responsible for those in September. Eddy heat flux during CP El Niño is also anomalously enhanced in extratropical SH stratosphere in both August and September and subsequently weaken during the following months.

Precursory signals of the major El Niño Southern Oscillation events

An exploration of the temporal evolution of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) from January 1876 to November 2011 by means of a new time domain called natural time reveals that the major ENSO extremes provide precursory signals that are maximized in a time window of almost 2 years. This finding may be used to improve the accuracy of the short-term prediction models of the ENSO extremes, thus enabling steps to be taken to ameliorate its disastrous impacts.

Consistency of Estimated Global Water Cycle Variations over the Satellite Era

Abstract Motivated by the question of whether recent interannual to decadal climate variability and a possible “climate shift” may have affected the global water balance, we examine precipitation minus evaporation (P – E) variability integrated over the global oceans and global land for the period 1979–2010 from three points of view—remotely sensed retrievals and syntheses over the oceans, reanalysis vertically integrated moisture flux convergence (VMFC) over land, and land surface models (LSMs) forced with observations-based precipitation, radiation, and near-surface meteorology. Over land, reanalysis VMFC and P − evapotranspiration (ET) from observationally forced LSMs agree on interannual variations (e.g., El Niño/La Niña events); however, reanalyses exhibit upward VMFC trends 3–4 times larger than P − ET trends of the LSMs. Experiments with other reanalyses using reduced observations show that upward VMFC trends in the full reanalyses are due largely to observing system changes interacting with assimilation model physics. The much smaller P − ET trend in the LSMs appears due to changes in frequency and amplitude of warm events after the 1997/98 El Niño, a result consistent with coolness in the eastern tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) after that date. When integrated over the global oceans, E and especially P variations show consistent signals of El Niño/La Niña events. However, at scales longer than interannual there is considerable uncertainty especially in E. This results from differences among datasets in near-surface atmospheric specific humidity and wind speed used in bulk aerodynamic retrievals. The P variations, all relying substantially on passive microwave retrievals over ocean, also have uncertainties in decadal variability, but to a smaller degree.

Sea ice concentration variability over the Southern Ocean and its impact on precipitation in southeastern South America

ABSTRACTThis article quantifies the relationship between sea ice cover (SIC) on the Southern Ocean and precipitation and river discharges over southeastern and eastern South America. The period of analysis covers from 1981 to 2008 and includes monthly mean data of SIC over the Ross, Amundsen–Bellingshausen and Weddell Seas, as well as atmospheric variables and discharges of selected rivers in eastern South America. To isolate the effect of known modes of climate variability on SIC, the signals of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and the Southern Annual Mode are removed from all time series through regression analysis. Composites of precipitation differences over South America reveal a pattern of enhanced rainfall activity over the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) in summer (JFM) when SIC is above average particularly over the Weddell Sea area, while winter (ASO) SIC anomalies show negative and significant correlations with rainfall over much of South America. Moisture fluxes patterns in summer reveal increased moisture transport towards the SACZ region and decreased low‐level jet activity (and precipitation) over northern Argentina. In particular a large dry bias over southeastern South America associated to positive SIC anomalies on the Weddell Sea in September is shown to impact the discharges of the Uruguay and Iguazú Rivers, with the largest effects found two months after the SIC anomaly (November). Although less robust, a relationship with the Paraná River is also found. These results suggest that increased SIC over the Weddell Sea during September can help to forecast drier conditions particularly on the Uruguay basin and somewhat wetter conditions in the SACZ region within the following season.

Temporal and spatial variation of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a, and primary productivity in the Gulf of California

Using satellite derived data from 1997–2010, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a (Chl) and primary productivity (PP) variations are described at different temporal and spatial scales in the Gulf of California. Interannual signals of El Niño (EN) and La Niña (LN) were more evident at the entrance to the gulf. Once EN or LN events were over, there was a delayed response of three to six months for the reestablishment of “normal” phytoplankton activity levels. Phytoplankton response to high concentrations of nutrients due to LN was not immediate. At regional scale, EN significantly decreased the Chl mean with regard to “normal” conditions at the entrance, central gulf, and Midriff Islands region (MIR); however, PP under EN conditions decreased significantly only at the entrance. The increase in Chl and PP due to LN relative to “normal” conditions was significant only at the entrance. SST, Chl, and PP annual signals are the main source of variation, particularly for the central gulf and entrance, but in the MIR, “winter” PP (1.96 g C m–2 d–1) was not significantly different from that of “summer” (1.62 g C m–2 d–1). Highest PP was found in the central gulf and MIR, where inferences of production attributable to new production were estimated at more than 60% of PP. At the gulf entrance, primary productivity was mainly attributable to regenerated production, particularly during summer and autumn.

Signals of El Niño Modoki in the tropical tropopause layer and stratosphere

Abstract. The effects of El Niño Modoki events on the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and on the stratosphere were investigated using European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) reanalysis data, oceanic El Niño indices, and general climate model outputs. El Niño Modoki events tend to depress convective activities in the western and eastern Pacific but enhance convective activities in the central and northern Pacific. Consequently, during El Niño Modoki events, negative water vapor anomalies occur in the western and eastern Pacific upper troposphere, whereas there are positive anomalies in the central and northern Pacific upper troposphere. The spatial patterns of the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and upper tropospheric water vapor anomalies exhibit a tripolar form. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the OLR and upper tropospheric water vapor anomalies reveals that canonical El Niño events are associated with the leading mode of the EOF, while El Niño Modoki events correspond to the second mode. The composite analysis based on ERA-interim data indicate that El Niño Modoki events have a reverse effect on middle-high latitudes stratosphere, as compared with the effect of typical El Niño events, i.e., the northern polar vortex is stronger and colder but the southern polar vortex is weaker and warmer during El Niño Modoki events. According to the simulation' results, we found that the reverse effect on the middle-high latitudes stratosphere is resulted from a complicated interaction between quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) signal of east phase and El Niño Modoki signal. This interaction is not a simply linear overlay of QBO signal and El Niño Modoki signal in the stratosphere, it is El Niño Modoki that leads to different tropospheric zonal wind anomalies with QBO forcing from that caused by typical El Niño, thus, the planetary wave propagation from troposphere to the stratosphere during El Niño Modoki events is different from that during canonical El Niño events. However, when QBO is in its west phase, El Niño Modoki events have the same effect on middle-high latitudes stratosphere as the typical El Niño events. Our simulations also suggest that canonical El Niño and El Niño Modoki activities actually have the same influence on the middle-high latitudes stratosphere when in the absence of QBO forcing.

White Electroluminescence from a Gadolinium-Doped Si-Nanocluster-Enriched SiO[sub 2]–SiON Interface Region

SiO2 implanted with carbon and silicon. In this article, we present bright white light emitters based on the silicon-rich SiO2‐SiON interface in a metal‐SiON‐SiO2‐Si MONOS structure coimplanted with gadolinium Gd. At a certain level of the constant injection current excitation, the MONOS structure containing Si-nc and Gd works as a white light emitter. At a constant current excitation of 100 A, the EL spectrum covers a wide spectral region from 360 to 700 nm with a broad flat region of about 200 nm. The increase in the constant current excitation switches the color of the light emitters observed by the naked eye from green to blue. For constant current excitation above 1 mA, the energy transfer from the Gd 3+ ions to the neutral oxygen vacancy defects and the silicon nanoclusters was observed. The photoluminescence PL measurements taken from only silicon implanted structures show two broad-bands with peaks at 640 and 780 nm. In Gd coimplanted Si-rich MONOS structures, the PL spectrum consists of one peak at 650 nm related to a nonbridging oxygen hole center NBOHC and two peaks at 760 and 830 nm associated with silicon nanoclusters with sizes of 1.7 and 1.8 nm, respectively. EL devices, metal‐SiON‐SiO2‐Si light emitting device MONOSLED, were prepared by a standard silicon MOS technology on 4 inch, n-type silicon 100 wafers with resistivities of 2‐5 cm. Thermally grown 100 nm thick SiO2 layers with a 1000 nm field oxide were processed using the local oxidation of silicon technology and were implanted by silicon and coimplanted with Gd at energies of 20 and 140 keV with atomic concentrations of 10 and 2%, respectively. Samples were annealed at 1100°C for 30 min after silicon implantation to form Si-nc and at 900°C for the same time after Gd coimplantation to reduce the radiation defects and to rebuild Si-nc. To protect the oxide layer against breakdown, a 200 nm SiON layer was deposited on top of it O:N =1 :1 by plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition. The atomic composition of the SiON layers and the concentration of implanted elements were confirmed by scanning Auger electron spectroscopy Microlab 310F. The gate and bottom electrodes consist of a 100 nm thick indium tin oxide ITO layer deposited by radio frequency sputtering and a 300 nm thick evaporated Al layer, respectively. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images were taken by means of an FEI Titan 80-300 scanning transmission electron microscope operating at 300 keV. The EL measurements were performed using electron injection mainly from the ITO electrode. The EL spectra and the quenching of the EL intensity were measured at room temperature on MONOS structures with a circular ITO electrode of 300 m diameter at a constant current supplied by a source meter Keithley 2410. The EL signal was recorded with a monochromator Jobin Yvon Triax 320 and a photomultiplier Hamamatsu H7732-10 .P L experiments were conducted at room temperature with an excitation wavelength of 514.5 nm from an argon laser with a power density of 0.2 mW/mm 2 . The PL signal was recorded with an SPM-2 monochromator and a photomultiplier Hamamatsu R943-02. The photograph was taken by a standard digital camera combined with a microscope. Figure 1 shows the PL spectra taken from Si-nc’s embedded in the SiO2 layer and from the SiO2 layer containing Si-nc’s coimplanted with Gd. In the silicon implanted oxide layer with subsequent annealing at 1100°C, the PL signal shows a broad spectrum with two main bands centered at around 650 and 800 nm. The Gaussian peak deconvolution inset of Fig. 1 enables us to show