Electric field-induced fabrication of microscopic Si-based optoelectronic devices for 1.55 and 1.16 μm IR electroluminescence

We suggest an alternative technique for electroluminescent device fabrication, based on our earlier findings of electric field (E-field)-induced bipolar transistor creation in Si, doped with Li. An external electric field served to induce μm sized electroluminescent device structures in Si, that had been doped prior to E-field application, with Li, and Er via thermal in-diffusion. Such devices exhibit low temperature, near infrared (IR) electroluminescence at ∼ 1.16 and 1.55 μm, corresponding to transitions associated with Li and Er levels, respectively, in the forbidden gap. While Li also creates radiative recombination centers in Si, the Er-based IR radiation is the most desirable one. At the same time Li-doping is what makes E-field-induced p-n junction fabrication possible.