(Invited) Electroluminescence in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Tunnel Diodes with Nanometer-Thick Silicon

Abstract

Electroluminescence in metal-oxide-semiconductor tunnel diodes with a transparent conductive oxide gate and a nanometer-thick silicon layer on silicon-on-insulator substrates has been studied. The electroluminescence spectra from the diodes are peaked at ~1120 nm (~1.11 eV). The peak shifts toward lower energy as the negative gate voltage value increases. The peak shift can be explained by a Stark effect. The peak tail intensity at the short-wavelength side of the peak at ~1120 nm increases as the silicon layer thickness decreases. This may indicate that the increase in the intensity is due to transitions between subbands near the silicon band edges. Small peaks have been observed at ~1050 nm (~1.18 eV) and ~1010 nm (~1.23 eV). The peak wavelengths are independent of the silicon layer thickness. This exhibits that the electroluminescence is due to defect-mediated transitions.