Green photoluminescence from Er-containing amorphous SiN thin films

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Abstract
Green light emission at room temperature was achieved from nonhydrogenated amorphous silicon–nitrogen (a-SiN) thin films. The films were deposited by cosputtering a silicon target covered with metallic erbium platelets in an Ar+N2 atmosphere. According to the deposition conditions, the nitrogen concentration [N] reached ∼40 at. % rendering an optical gap of approximately 3.5 eV while the Er concentration [Er] was estimated to be ∼10 at. % in the present films. The high [Er] associated to the optical band gap allows the direct excitation of Er3+ ions. This optical excitation is more efficient at low temperatures as a consequence of the reduction in nonradiative processes, and when exciting the samples with the 488.0 nm line of an Ar+ laser which is in resonance with the F47/2Er3+ energy level. In addition to light emission at ∼520 and ∼545 nm, transitions in the infrared energy region could be easily verified in as-deposited samples.