Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
The light-emission mechanism of Si-MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) junctions has been investigated. Si/SiO₂/metal (Al or Au) MOS junctions with extremely smooth interfaces were fabricated by taking advantage of the well-developed Si processing technology. The observed light-emission spectra can be accounted for by the current fluctuation theory of light-emitting tunnel junctions [B. Laks and D. L. Mills, Phys. Rev. B 20, 4962 (1979)]. There are two channels of light emission: the direct emission from the fluctuation of the tunneling current and the indirect emission that arises from the scattering (by surface roughness) of surface-plasmon polaritons generated by the fluctuating tunnel current. The light from the Si/SiO₂/Al junction arises mainly from the direct emission from the fluctuating current. The light from the Si/SiO₂/Au junction contains both the direct and indirect emissions with approximately equal strengths. The direct and indirect emissions have comparable strength in our junctions, because our Si-based junctions are extremely smooth and the indirect emission is much weaker than in the junctions used in earlier studies.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Uehara et al. (1995) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: