Optical Direct and Indirect Excitation of Er3+ Ions In Silicon

Abstract

ABSTRACTOptical direct and indirect excitation of erbium (Er) ions in silicon substrates was performed in order to investigate the high efficiency of Er3+− related 1.54µm emission (4I13/2→4I15/2) for direct excitation that is not concerned with the indirect band gap and low quantum efficiency of a Si host. The samples were prepared by ion-implantation or thermal diffusion methods. In each sample, photoluminescence (PL) showed the peaks originating from 4I13/2→4I15/2 of Er3+ ions.In Er thermally diffused samples, optical excitation for energy level 4I11/2 of Er3+ ions was successfully effected by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE). The PLE spectra consisted six peaks (963. lnm, 965.Onm, 976.lnm, 978.9nm and 980.9nm) which were caused by direct excitation (4I15/2→4I11/2) of Er3+ ions. The emission directly excited is about 2 times more intense than the indirectly excited emission. The six peaks originating from the splitting of the 4I11/2 levels meant that Er3+ ions were in the sites of noncubic symmetry. The samples prepared by Er ion-implantation did not show the effect.