Room-temperature electroluminescence of erbium-doped amorphous hydrogenated silicon

Abstract
We have observed strong room-temperature electroluminescence at 1.54 μm induced by erbium ions in amorphous hydrogenated silicon ( a -Si:H). The device consisted of an Al /a- Si:H(Er)/ n- c-Si/Al structure. A mechanism for electronic excitation of the erbium ions in the amorphous matrix is proposed that is based on defect-related Auger excitation.