Luminescence from Si-Implanted SiO₂-Si₃N₄ Nano Bi-Layers for Electrophotonic Integrated Si Light Sources.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Photonic lab-on-a-chip devices require efficient light emitters integrated with waveguides.
• Silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRO) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) are promising materials for optoelectronic applications.
• Understanding the luminescence properties of SRO/Si3N4 interfaces is crucial for device performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural and luminescence properties of silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRO) and SRO-Si3N4 bi-layers.
• To evaluate their potential for integration into emitter-waveguide pairs for photonic lab-on-a-chip sensing.
• To compare the optical characteristics of bi-layers with mono-layers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SRO and SRO-Si3N4 bi-layers and mono-layers.
• Structural characterization using appropriate techniques (e.g., ellipsometry, microscopy).
• Luminescence spectroscopy to analyze emission bands and their origins.

Main Results:

• Two distinct emission bands were observed in the SRO and SRO-Si3N4 bi-layers.
• One band is attributed to a combination of defect-related and quantum confinement effects within the SRO layer.
• The second band originates from defects in the oxynitride transition zone formed at the SRO/Si3N4 interface, ruling out quantum confinement in Si3N4.

Conclusions:

• SRO and SRO-Si3N4 bi-layers exhibit suitable luminescence for photonic sensing applications.
• The observed emission bands are well-defined and linked to specific material regions and phenomena.
• These findings support the integration of these bi-layers into emitter-waveguide systems for lab-on-a-chip devices.