Visible Light Emission in Silicon-Interface Adsorbed Gas Superlattices

Abstract

ABSTRACTHaving an indirect fundamental bandgap, unlike III-V or II-VI compound semiconductors, silicon has not played a role in optoelectronic applications such as injection lasers and light emitting diodes. In an attempt to introduce a sufficient quantum size effect, we present the experimental results on a new type of silicon based superlattices consisting of alternating layers of silicon and monolayers of adsorbed gases, Si/IAG multilayers (Si/Interface Adsorbed Gas), constructed by repeated interruptions of silicon deposition with adsorbed gases of oxygen and hydrogen. Fairly strong visible luminescence has been observed.