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Electroluminescence from metal–oxide–semiconductor devices based on erbium silicate nanocrystals and silicon nanocrystals co-embedded in silicon oxide thin films

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Abstract

A metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) electroluminescence device based on erbium silicate nanocrystals and silicon nanocrystals co-embedded in silicon oxide films fabricated by reactive magnetron co-sputtering on silicon substrate is reported. It was found that annealing temperatures have great influence on the structural composition of the deposited films. Only at 1100 °C annealing temperature, erbium silicate nanocrystals and silicon nanocrystals co-embedded in silicon oxide films formed. The MOS devices based on films with 112.9 % excess Si annealed at 1100 °C exhibited the lowest 20 V threshold voltage, highest near-infrared electroluminescence intensity, and external quantum efficiency (1.64*10−3) at 1540 nm because these films can combine the excellent optical activity of crystalline erbium silicate with better conductivity improved by Si nanocrystals.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the financial support from National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFB2200102).

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Correspondence to Dongsheng Li.

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He, M., Yang, D. & Li, D. Electroluminescence from metal–oxide–semiconductor devices based on erbium silicate nanocrystals and silicon nanocrystals co-embedded in silicon oxide thin films. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 20659–20667 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-06579-x

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