Multicolor Silicon Light-Emitting Diodes (SiLEDs)

We present highly efficient electroluminescent devices using size-separated silicon nanocrystals (ncSi) as light emitting material. The emission color can be tuned from the deep red down to the yellow-orange spectral region by using very monodisperse size-separated nanoparticles. High external quantum efficiencies up to 1.1% as well as low turn-on voltages are obtained for red emitters. In addition, we demonstrate that size-separation of ncSi leads to drastically improved lifetimes of the devices and much less sensitivity of the emission wavelength to the applied drive voltage.