LED, rare earth, nanofilm, Si-based matrix

Rare earth doped semiconducting nanofilms for Si-based light-emitting devices

C. Labbé(1), F. Ehré(1), C. Dufour(1), F. Gourbilleau(1), X. Portier(1), C. Frilay(1), P. Marie(1), H. Rinnert (2), D. Lagarde (3), X. Marie(3), W. M. Jadwisienczak(4), D. C. Ingram(5) and J. Cardin(1)

(1) CIMAP, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS,  14000 Caen, France
e-mail: christophe.labbe@ensicaen.fr
(2) Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour, UMR7198, Nancy F-54011, France
(3) LPCNO, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INSA, UPS, 135 avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse, France
(4) School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Ohio Univ., Stocker Center, Athens, OH 45701, USA
(5) Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA

We propose here a brief overview of rare earth (RE) doped semiconducting thin films for Si-based light-emitting devices, through the results obtained with Erbium and Cerium ions [1-2]. 
In the past, Er3+ or Ce3+ ions emission have been observed when embedded in SiO2 host matrix [1-3]. However, these SiO2 host matrix suffer from low RE elements solubility as well as the lack of aging after several current injections in opposite to Si3N4 host matrix which is known for its RE higher solubility and for better aging with electrical current injection due to a smaller band gap than the oxide counterpart. [4-5]
Then, the aim of this study is to elaborate MOS-LED structure based on RE doped SiOxNy films. The SiOxNy: RE layers are deposited on silicon substrates by using RF magnetron sputtering technique under N2 reactive flow, with a typical thickness of 20-50 nm. The composition is optimized to have the best photoluminescence signal. The effect of the matrix composition on current injection in fabricated SiOxNy: RE MOS-LED structures will be presented and the electroluminescence (EL) properties including I-V characteristic and EL spectra will be analyzed. The influence of the N inclusion on observed EL signal is studied through the conduction mechanisms.

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[2] J.M. Ramírez, A. Ruiz-Caridad, J. Wojcik, A.M. Gutierrez, S. Estradé,  et al. "Luminescence properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped SiOxNy thin films: Prospects for color tunability in silicon-based hosts", J. Appl. Phys., 119 (2016) 113108.
[3] J. Weimmerskirch-Aubatin, M. Stoffel, A. Bouché, P. Boulet, M. Vergnat, H. Rinnert, "Optical properties of Ce-doped SiO2 films: From isolated Ce3+ ions to formation of cerium silicate", J. Alloys Compd., 622, (2015), pp. 358-361.
[4] F. Ehre, C. Labbé, C. Dufour, W. Jadwisienczak, J. Weimmerskirch-Aubatin, X. Portier, J.-L. Doualan, J. Cardin, A. Richard, D.C. Ingram, C. Labrugère, F. Gourbilleau, "Nitrogen concentration effect on Ce doped SiOxNy emission: towards optimized Ce3+ for DEL application ", Nanoscale, 20, (2018), pp. 4818-4830.
[5] C. Labbé, Y.T. An, G. Zatryb, X. Portier, A. Podhorodecki, P. Marie, C. Frilay, J. Cardin, F. Gourbilleau, "Structural and emission properties of Tb3+-doped nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride films", Nanotechnology, 28, (2017), pp. 115710-14.