Chun-Xia Du

Er/O and Er/F doping during molecular beam epitaxial growth of Si layers for efficient 1.54 μm light emission

Er, together with oxygen or fluorine as co-dopants, has been incorporated into Si during molecular beam epitaxial growth using co-evaporation of Si and Er containing compounds. The Er doping concentration using both Er2O3 and ErF3 can reach a level of ∼5×1019 cm−3 without precipitation, which is at least one order of magnitude higher than a previously reported solid solubility limit for Er in Si. Growth, structural, and luminescence characterization of these Er/O and Er/F doped Si samples are reported. In particular, 1.54 μm electroluminescence has been observed from Er/O doped Si layers at room temperature through hot electron impact excitation.

Resistance of galactoside-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers to marine fouling organisms

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of galactoside-terminated alkanethiols have protein-resistance properties which can be tuned via the degree of methylation [Langmuir 2005, 21, 2971-2980]. Specifically, a partially methylated compound was more resistant to nonspecific protein adsorption than the hydroxylated or fully methylated counterparts. We investigate whether this also holds true for resistance to the attachment and adhesion of a range of marine species, in order to clarify to what extent resistance to protein adsorption correlates with the more complex adhesion of fouling organisms. The partially methylated galactoside-terminated SAM was further compared to a mixed monolayer of ω-substituted methyl- and hydroxyl-terminated alkanethiols with wetting properties and surface ratio of hydroxyl to methyl groups matching that of the galactoside. The settlement (initial attachment) and adhesion strength of four model marine fouling organisms were investigated, representing both micro- and macrofoulers; two bacteria (Cobetia marina and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus), barnacle cypris larvae (Balanus amphitrite), and algal zoospores (Ulva linza). The minimum in protein adsorption onto the partially methylated galactoside surface was partly reproduced in the marine fouling assays, providing some support for a relationship between protein resistance and adhesion of marine fouling organisms. The mixed alkanethiol SAM, which was matched in wettability to the partially methylated galactoside SAM, consistently showed higher settlement (initial attachment) of test organisms than the galactoside, implying that both wettability and surface chemistry are insufficient to explain differences in fouling resistance. We suggest that differences in the structure of interfacial water may explain the variation in adhesion to these SAMs.

Anomalous settlement behavior of Ulva linza zoospores on cationic oligopeptide surfaces

Identification of settlement cues for marine fouling organisms opens up new strategies and methods for biofouling prevention, and enables the development of more effective antifouling materials. To this end, the settlement behaviour of zoospores of the green alga Ulva linza onto cationic oligopeptide self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been investigated. The spores interact strongly with lysine- and arginine-rich SAMs, and their settlement appears to be stimulated by these surfaces. Of particular interest is an arginine-rich oligopeptide, which is effective in attracting spores to the surface, but in a way which leaves a large fraction of the settled spores attached to the surface in an anomalous fashion. These ‘pseudo-settled’ spores are relatively easily detached from the surface and do not undergo the full range of cellular responses associated with normal commitment to settlement. This is a hitherto undocumented mode of settlement, and surface dilution of the arginine-rich peptide with a neutral triglycine peptide demonstrates that both normal and anomalous settlement is proportional to the surface density of the arginine-rich peptide. The settlement experiments are complemented with physical studies of the oligopeptide SAMs, before and after extended immersion in artificial seawater, using infrared spectroscopy, null ellipsometry and contact angle measurements.

Room temperature 1.54 μm light emission of erbium doped Si Schottky diodes prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

Schottky-type light emitting devices have been fabricated on Er-oxide doped Si layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy, in order to study the light emission process of Er-doped Si structures. By applying a reverse bias on the Schottky junction, Er ions incorporated within the depletion layer can be electrically excited via a hot electron impact process. Rather intense electroluminescence (EL) at a wavelength of 1.54 μm has been observed at room temperature. The optoelectronic properties of the devices have been characterized by both input-power dependent and temperature dependent EL measurements. An activation energy value of ∼160 meV responsible for luminescence thermal quenching has been obtained.

Origin of abnormal temperature dependence of electroluminescence from Er/O-doped Si diodes

The temperature dependencies of the current–voltage characteristics and the electroluminescence (EL) intensity of molecular beam epitaxy grown Er/O-doped Si light emitting diodes at reverse bias have been studied. To minimize the scattering of electrons injected from the p-doped Si1−xGex electron emitters, an intrinsic Si layer was used in the depletion region. For many diodes, there is a temperature range where the EL intensity increases with temperature. Data are reported for a structure that shows increasing intensity up to 100 °C. This is attributed to an increasing fraction of the pumping current being due to phonon-assisted tunneling, which gives a higher saturation intensity, compared to ionization-dominated breakdown at lower temperatures.

Si/SiGe/Si : Er : O light-emitting transistors prepared by differential molecular-beam epitaxy

Si/SiGe/Si:Er:O heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) type light-emitting devices with Er3+ ions incorporated in the collector region have been fabricated using a layered structure grown by differential molecular-beam epitaxy. Electroluminescence measurements on processed light-emitting HBTs can be performed in either constant driving current mode or constant applied bias mode, which is an important advantage over conventional Si:Er light-emitting diodes. Intense room-temperature light emission at the Er3+ characteristic wavelength of 1.54 mum has been observed at low driving current density, e.g., 0.1 A cm(-2), and low applied bias, e.g., 3 V, across the collector and emitter

Electroluminescence studies of Er and SiO co-doped Si layers prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Er/O co-doped Si light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been fabricated using layer structures prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The Er/O doping was realized by sublimation of elemental Er and silicon monoxide simultaneously with Si during MBE growth. Intense Er-related electroluminescence (EL) at 1.54 μm was observed at room temperature from p + -SiGe/i-SiGe-Si/Si:Er/n + -Si LEDs by electron impact excitation under reverse bias. It has been found that the EL intensity was increased with increasing growth temperature of the Si:Er/O layer in the range of 430–575°C. The electrical pumping power dependence of EL intensity has been studied. An excitation cross section value of ∼1×10 −16 cm 2 was estimated based on the experimental data and model fitting. The EL decay behavior under various injection and bias conditions has been studied by time-resolved EL measurements. The overall luminescence decay time is found to strongly depend on the injection parameters. Two types of de-excitation mechanisms due to Auger energy transfer to free carriers introduced by either dopant ionization or carrier injection have been discussed. Both Auger processes play an important role in reduction of the EL intensity when there is a high density of carriers with excited Er ions.

Light emitting SiGe/i-Si/Si:Er:O tunneling diodes prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

p+-SiGe/i-Si/n-Si:Er:O/n+-Si tunneling diodes have been processed using layer structures prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Electroluminescence has been observed at room temperature from the ...

1.54 μm Light emitting devices based on Er/O-doped Si layered structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Two types of Si:Er light emitting devices have been processed and characterized with an aim to efficiently use hot electrons for impact excitation. One is a p+-SiGe/i-Si/n-Si:Er:O/n+-Si tunneling diode with a design favoring electron tunneling from the SiGe valence band to the Si conduction band and subsequent acceleration. Another type of Si:Er light emitters is based on a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure containing an Er-doped active layer in the collector. In these devices, one can introduce hot electrons from the HBT emitter in a controlled way with a collector bias voltage prior to the avalanche breakdown to improve the impact excitation efficiency. Intense electroluminescence was observed at 300 K at low current (0.1 A cm −2 ) and low bias (3 V). An impact cross-section value of 1×10 −14 cm 2 has been estimated, which is a 100-fold increase compared with the values reported from any other type of Er-doped LEDs.

Influence of exposure to 980 nm laser radiation on the luminescence of Si:Er/O light-emitting diodes

Erbium (Er) codoping with oxygen (O) in Si is a well-known method for producing electroluminescent material radiating at 1.54 mu m through a 4f shell transition of Er3+ ions. In this work the influ ...