Room-temperature electroluminescence from electron-hole plasmas in the metal–oxide–silicon tunneling diodes

An electron-hole plasma recombination model is used to fit the room-temperature electroluminescence from metal–oxide–silicon tunneling diodes. The relatively narrow line shape in the emission spectra can be understood by the quasi-Fermi level positions of electrons and holes, which both lie in the band gap. This model also gives a narrower band gap than that of bulk silicon. The surface band bending in the Si/oxide interface is responsible for this energy gap reduction.