Electroluminescence from Si/Si oxynitride superlattices

The Si/Si oxynitride superlattices, with three periods, have been grown using the two-target alternation magnetron sputtering technique. The thicknesses of Si oxynitride layers and Si layers in the superlattices are 2.0 and 1.4 nm, respectively. Visible electroluminescence (EL) from a semitransparent Au film/(Si/Si oxynitride) superlattice/p-Si structure has been observed. Each EL spectrum of the structure has a dominant peak around 640 nm, a weaker peak around 520 nm, and a shoulder around 820 nm. By comparing the EL from the semitransparent Au film/(Si/Si oxynitride) superlattice/p-Si structure with that from a semitransparent Au film/Si oxynitride film/p-Si structure, we found that the EL efficiency of the former structure is about 2–4 times of that of the latter one.