Stability and Degradation

Abstract

This chapter covers two aspects of degradation, namely the identification of the main degradation mechanisms and their description, and strategies to avoid or to slow down such processes. The degradation of Si-based light emitters is composed of two components: the electrical degradation of the gate oxide, also called the “wear-out” of the MOS structure, and the EL quenching with increasing charge injection. Consequently, Sects. 6.1 and 6.2 treat these two aspects of degradation, followed by a discussion about the important role of a SiON buffer layer for thestability enhancement (Sect. 6.3) and the usefulness of a potassium co-implantation (Sect. 6.4).