Enhanced Light Emission by Engineering Random Strain Fields at the Interface Between Crystalline-Si and Rare-Earth Doped Silica

Random strain fields can be formed by interfacing various ceramics with silicon. In this work we report enhanced bandgap emission properties stemming from interfacing CZ-Si with spin-coated silica doped with rare-earth metals. Optical properties was found to be depend strongly on the annealing parameters of the deposited films. In addition, the source of erbium can alter the critical temperature required for optimal light emission. Two fold light emission enhancement was obtained at the bandgap was achieved. In this talk we will present silica coatings synthesized by various catalysts including mixture of acid and base, different erbium doping concentrations, annealing temperatures, and in some samples effect of pumping power on the observed luminescence. A working hypothesis focuses on the inhomogeneous interfacial stresses and strains role on bandgap modulations in a way that favors the radiative recombination of formed carrier pairs. The talk will also share the results of several characterization techniques.