Fereydoon Namavar

Visible electroluminescence from porous silicon np heterojunction diodes

We report the preparation of silicon‐based visible light‐emitting diodes, configured as heterojunctions between porous silicon (formed by electrochemical etching of p‐type silicon wafers), and n‐type indium tin oxide (ITO). The transparent ITO film allows light emission through the top surface of the device, under a forward electrical bias of several volts across the junction. Photogenerated currents are observed under reverse biases. A tentative model for this electroluminescence is presented, based on injection of minority carriers through a narrow interphase region into the porous silicon structure, where radiative recombination occurs.

Current injection mechanism for porous‐silicon transparent surface light‐emitting diodes

We present a model for the injection of minority carriers into porous silicon films which results in visible dc electroluminescence. A thin interfacial dielectric region is postulated between the surface of the porous silicon layer and a transparent conductive oxide on the surface, which allows alignment of states between the two corresponding conduction bands of these materials under bias, and hence, overlap of electron wave functions and the passage of a tunneling current. Interface state densities are calculated and a parasitic nonradiative shunt current through such states is discussed.

Photo-, cathodo-, and electroluminescence from erbium and oxygen co-implanted GaN

Efficient Er-related photo-, cathodo-, and electroluminescence at 1539 nm was detected from Er and O co-implanted n -type GaN on sapphire substrates. Several combinations of Er and O implants and postimplant annealing conditions were studied. The Er doses were in the range (0.01–5)×10 15 ions/cm 2 and O doses (0.1–1)×10 16 ions/cm 2 . GaN films implanted with 2×10 15 Er 2+ /cm 2 at 350 keV and co-implanted with 10 16 O + /cm 2 at 80 keV yielded the strongest photoluminescence intensity at 1539 nm. The annealing condition yielding the strongest Er-related photoluminescence intensity was a single anneal at 800 °C (45 min) or at 900 °C (30 min) in flowing NH 3 . The optimum O:Er ratio was found to be between 5:1 and 10:1. Co-implanting the GaN:Er films with F was also found to optically activate the Er, with slightly (20%) less photoluminescence intensity at 1539 nm compared to equivalent GaN:Er,O films. The Er-related luminescence lifetime at 1539 nm was found to depend on the excitation mechanism. Luminescence lifetimes as long as 2.95±0.15 ms were measured at 77 K under direct excitation with an InGaAs laser diode at 983 nm. At room temperature the luminescence lifetimes were 2.35±0.12, 2.15±0.11, and 1.74±0.08 ms using below-band-gap excitation, above-band-gap excitation, and impact excitation (reverse biased light emitting diode), respectively. The cross sections for Er in GaN were estimated to be 4.8×10 −21 cm 2 for direct optical excitation at 983 nm and 4.8×10 −16 cm 2 for impact excitation. The cross-section values are believed to be within a factor of 2–4.

Electroluminescence from erbium and oxygen coimplanted GaN

Room temperature operation of erbium and oxygen coimplanted GaN m‐i‐n (metal–insulator–n‐type) diodes is demonstrated. Erbium related electroluminescence at λ=1.54 μm was detected under reverse bias after a postimplant anneal at 800°C for 45 min in flowing NH3. The integrated light emission intensity showed a linear dependence on applied reverse drive current.

Cathodoluminescence study of erbium and oxygen coimplanted gallium nitride thin films on sapphire substrates

The cathodoluminescence(CL) of erbium and oxygen coimplanted GaN(GaN:Er:O) and sapphire (sapphire:Er:O) was studied as a function of temperature. Following annealing, the 1.54 μm intra‐4f‐shell emission line was observed in the temperature range of 6–380 K. As the temperature increased from 6 K to room temperature, the integrated intensity of the infrared peak decreased by less than 5% for GaN:Er:O, while it decreased by 18% for sapphire:Er:O. The observation of minimal thermal quenching by CL suggests that Er and O dopedGaN is a promising material for electrically pumped room‐temperature optical devices emitting at 1.54 μm.

Strong room‐temperature infrared emission from Er‐implanted porous Si

This communication demonstrates a strong, room‐temperature (RT), infrared (IR) (1.54 μm) emission from Er‐implanted red‐emitting (peaked at 1.9 eV) porous silicon (Er:PSi). Erbium was implanted into porous Si, bulk Si, and quartz with a dose of 1015/cm2 at 190 keV and annealed for 30 minutes in N2 at temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 900 °C under identical conditions. No RT IR emission was observed from Er implanted quartz and silicon after annealing at 650 °C (although after annealing at 900 °C very weak emission was observed from quartz at 9 K). The highest RT emission intensity at 1.54 μm was from Er:PSi with a peak concentration of 1.5×1020/cm3 and annealed at 650 °C. Even the luminescence intensity from Er:PSi annealed at 500 °C was 26 times higher than that observed from Er‐implanted quartz at 400 keV and annealed at 900 °C. A reduction in photoluminescence (PL) intensity of about a factor of two from Er:PSi over the 9 to 300 K temperature range was observed which is consistent with Er in wide ban...

Thermal stability of nanostructurally stabilized zirconium oxide

Nanostructurally stabilized zirconium oxide (NSZ) hard transparent films were produced without chemical stabilizers by the ion beam assisted deposition technique (IBAD). A transmission electron microscopy study of the samples produced below 150 °C revealed that these films are composed of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanocrystallites of diameters 7.5 ± 2.3 nm. X-ray and selected-area electron diffraction studies suggested that the as-deposited films are consistent with cubic phase ZrO2. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) indicated the formation of stoichiometric ZrO2. The phase identity of these optically transparent NSZ films was in agreement with cubic ZrO2, as indicated by the matching elastic modulus values from the calculated results for pure cubic zirconium oxide and results of nanoindentation measurements. Upon annealing in air for 1 h, these NSZ films were found to retain most of their room temperature deposited cubic phase x-ray diffraction signature up to 850 °C. Size effect and vacancy stabilization mechanisms and the IBAD technique are discussed to explain the present results.

Formation of As precipitates in GaAs by ion implantation and thermal annealing

We show that it is possible to regrow an amorphous GaAs layer created by high dose As implantation at room temperature. If implantation parameters are carefully selected, As precipitates may be formed in the regrown layer with structural characteristics the same as those observed in semi‐insulating GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the structure of these precipitates in connection with the structural defects which are seen in the layer. This process appears promising for the formation of low cost semi‐insulating GaAs layers.

Structural modification of nanocrystalline ceria by ion beams

Exceptional size-dependent electronic-ionic conductivity of nanostructured ceria can significantly alter materials properties in chemical, physical, electronic and optical applications. Using energetic ions, we have demonstrated effective modification of interface volume and grain size in nanocrystalline ceria from a few nm up to ∼25 nm, which is the critical region for controlling size-dependent material property. The grain size increases and follows an exponential law as a function of ion fluence that increases with temperature, while the cubic phase is stable under the irradiation. The unique self-healing response of radiation damage at grain boundaries is utilized to control the grain size at the nanoscale. Structural modification by energetic ions is proposed to achieve desirable electronic-ionic conductivity.

Photoluminescence spectra from porous silicon (111) microstructures: Temperature and magnetic‐field effects

Visible and near‐infrared (IR) photoluminescence emission spectra (0.9–3.0 eV) from p‐type porous Si(111) microstructures are reported as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The visible peak located at 1.84 eV at 4 K shifted to ∼1.56 eV at 575 K where it disappeared; the intensity reached a maximum value at ∼150 K. The photoluminescence spectrum showed no measurable shift in the peak position with magnetic field from 0 to 15 T. Strong IR intrinsic band‐to‐band emission above and below the bulk silicon band gap at ∼1.09 eV at 300 K was observed. This luminescence was found to be enhanced by two orders of magnitude or more over the IR spectrum from an unanodized wafer.