Fine structure and high intensity of photoluminescence from Er doped in Ni–Si–O compounds

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Er 3+ doped Ni–Si–O compounds deposited by the magnetron sputtering technique are investigated. Compared with the optimized photoluminescence (PL) of Er 3+ in Si-rich Si oxide, the PL of Er 3+ in the compounds is strikingly enhanced in the ranges 500–900 nm and 1470–1650 nm. This enhancement and the appearance of many sharp peaks around 1.54 µm in the spectra depend on the Ni content and the annealing temperature. Two-order enhancement in the range 1470–1650 nm is achieved for the Ni–Si–O compound with 25 at.% Ni after 1150 °C annealing. The above experiments indicate that Ni induces new local environments around Er 3+ , which are responsible for PL enhancement and appearance of sharp peaks.