J Mater Sci Technol ›› 1999, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (04): 357-362.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Photoluminescence and Optical Transition Dynamics of Er3+ Ions in Porous Si

Xinwei ZHAO, Hideo Isshiki, Yoshinobu Aoyagi, Takuo Sugano, Shuji Komuro   

  1. Frontier Research Program, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan...
  • Received:1998-11-26 Revised:1998-12-14 Online:1999-07-28 Published:2009-10-10
  • Contact: Xinwei ZHAO

Abstract: Er was doped into porous Si by immersing the porous Si sample in a saturated ErCl3:ethanol solution. Sharp and intense 1.54 mm photoluminescence caused by intra-4f-shell transitions in Er3+ ions was observed up to room temperature. It is shown that the immersing process is valid to dope Er in high concentration in porous Si. Time resolved study of the Er-doped porous Si revealed that the doped Er3+ ions are excited by energy transfer from photo-generated electron-hole pairs in the host. The energy back transfer process from the excited 4f-electrons in the Er3+ ion to the host is not a dominant factor to quench the Er-related emission in porous Si. Our results are well explained by a proposed model in which an intermediate state was introduced.

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