Optical properties of porous silicon

We have measured the absorption spectra and the dispersion of refractive index for porous silicon samples with different porosities in the energy range 1.5–3.5 eV at room temperatures. The experimental data are compared with the dependences calculated by using Bruggeman’s theory for the dielectric constant of a multicomponent system composed of crystal silicon, SiO₂, amorphous silicon, and voids (pores). The best agreement between the experimental and theoretical dependences is achieved for a significant percentage of SiO₂ in the porous silicon samples.     

Optical properties of erbium-doped porous silicon waveguides

Planar and buried channel porous silicon waveguides (WG) were prepared from p⁺-type silicon substrate by a two-step anodization process. Erbium ions were incorporated into pores of the porous silicon layers by an electrochemical method using ErCl₃-saturated solution. Erbium concentration of around 10²⁰ at/cm³ was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis performed on SEM cross-section. The luminescence properties of erbium ions in the IR range were determined and a luminescence time decay of 420 μs was measured. Optical losses were studied on these WG. The increased losses after doping were discussed.     

Current-voltage characteristics of structures with a porous silicon layer at adsorption of carbon monoxide

The current-voltage characteristics of structures with a layer of porous silicon of 73% porosity were measured at adsorption of gas (carbon monoxide) at room temperature. Estimations are performed of the height of potential heterobarrier at the interface between porous silicon and p ⁺-type single-crystal silicon, of the perfectness factor and the resistance of a layer of porous silicon in air, in air with 0.4% CO, and in air with 2% CO. Physical causes explaining the experimental data are discussed.     

Optical properties of neodymium incorporated in porous silicon

We report the optical properties of Nd-incorporated porous silicon. Photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation measurements have been performed. Room temperature emission spectra from dried or annealed samples have been studied. While steady-state photoluminescence results indicate porous silicon light absorption by the Nd, the photoluminescence excitation shows a deficiency of energy transfer between porous silicon and Nd ions.     

Characterization of ITO/porous silicon LED structures

The electrical behavior and the electroluminescence (EL) obtained from n- and p-type ITO/porous silicon LEDs have been characterized simultaneously at different temperatures. Stability and aging in air were investigated, and means for avoiding their detrimental effects in the experiments are suggested. The dominating current carrying mechanism responsible for visible light emission in both substrate types has been identified to be Fowler–Nordheim tunneling. This emphasizes the contribution of embedded nanoparticles (quantum dots) rather than the role of nanowires in efficient EL.     

Sensor properties of structures with porous silicon layer

We have measured at room temperature current-voltage and noise characteristics of structures with a porous silicon (porosity 80%) layer at adsorption of gases ammonia, propane and butane mixture, and ethyl alcohol vapor. It was obtained that the largest change in CVC and low-frequency noise is observed under action of ammonia gas on the structure. Physical reasons of sensor properties of studied samples are discussed.     

Preparation of one-dimensional porous silicon photonic quantum-well structures

One-dimensional porous silicon (PSi) photonic quantum-well structures have been electrochemically fabricated and spectroscopically characterized. The photonic well in the structure is a photonic crystal (PC) consisting of alternately stacked high- and low-refractive-index PSi layers. Discrete states are observed in both reflectance and transmission spectra. It is found that the number of confined states appearing in the photonic bandgap of the photonic barrier depends on the number of periods adopted in the well PC. Thus, increased confined photonic states can be created simply by increasing the number of periods of the well PC in the structures. Received: 26 February 2002 / Accepted: 17 May 2002 / Published online: 4 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-21/6510-4949, E-mail: xyhou@fudan.edu.cn     

Optical characteristics of implanted silicon films

The first data are presented on the change (following implantation) in the refractive index and the band structure of silicon on sapphire films. The implantation was effected with phosphor ions of 40 keV and doses from 10¹² to 10¹⁶ cm^–2. An increase following implantation of the refractive index and the energy of the first direct allowed transitions E₁ is noted, indicating changes in the second coordination sphere. The profile E₁(x) is studied pointing to heterogenization effects. The films were annealed with ruby laser pulses of 0.2 J/cm². The same laser was used to study the lux dependence of the injection level _n and surface photo-emf V. Hysteresis in the V(_n) dependence (after the use of maximum intensity of the laser beam) is noted indicating irreversible straightening of the bands at the film surface.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 40–43, May, 1984.     

Optical properties of porous silicon processed in tetraethyl orthosilicate

We investigate the change in the composition and optical properties of porous silicon (por-Si) obtained by electrochemical etching of a palate made of n-type (111) silicon single crystal under high-temperature annealing and processing in tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). It is shown that TEOS processing and annealing prevent contamination of a sample stored for a long time in atmosphere. The processing of por-Si in TEOS does not change the position of the photoluminescence (PL) peak and suppresses PL to a smaller extent as compared to annealing of por-Si. This increases the reliability of optoelectronic devices based on por-Si.     

Optical characterization of porous silicon films and multilayer filters

Porous silicon (PS) has a great potential in optical applications due to the tunability of its refractive index. However, the electrochemical formation parameters of porous silicon have a great influence both on porosity and pore morphology and, hence, on the optical properties of the PS layers. In the present work, the optical constants of PS layers are determined in the visible-wavelength range for different electrolyte compositions and for a wide range of formation-current densities. Thus, the interval of refractive indices that can be achieved for each electrolyte composition is studied, for the further development of interference filters. In particular, it is demonstrated that a higher ethanol concentration in the electrolyte leads to a considerably higher tunability of the refractive index of PS while reducing absorption losses. In addition, the performance of PS-based multilayer interference filters is shown to improve when formed with an electrolyte of higher ethanol concentration, especially in the blue region of the visible spectrum. PACS 78.20.Ci; 78.40.-q; 78.55.Mb     

Enhanced Raman scattering in multilayer structures of porous silicon

Multiple enhancement of the Raman scattering efficiency is observed in porous‐silicon‐based one‐dimensional photonic bandgap (PBG) structures with tunable reflection and dispersion under excitation at 1.06 µm. The experimental results are explained as being due to the resonant increase in the effective Raman susceptibility at light wavelengths close to the PBG edges. This effect is discussed in view of possible applications in the Raman spectroscopy of molecules embedded in porous media as well as in the Raman laser based on silicon. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optical third-harmonic generation in coupled microcavities based on porous silicon

The resonance features of the third-harmonic generation have been observed in 1D coupled microcavities consisting of three Bragg reflectors and two identical half-wave layers of mesoporous silicon. The third-harmonic intensity increases by a factor of about 10³ in the resonance of fundamental radiation with each of the modes of coupled microcavities. It has been shown that the resonance positions in the angular spectra of the third-harmonic intensity depend on the coupling between microcavities that is determined by the transmission of the intermediate Bragg reflector. In the framework of the transfer-matrix method with nonlinear sources, it has been shown that the basic mechanism of the enhancement of the third-harmonic generation in coupled microcavities based on porous silicon is the constructive interference of the partial third-harmonic waves that are generated by near-surface layers.     

Optical properties of multilayered Period-Doubling and Rudin-Shapiro porous silicon dielectric heterostructures

To investigate the optical properties in quasi-regular porous-silicon-based dielectric Period-Doubling and Rudin-Shapiro multilayer systems, we study here the reflection of light from these structures. The Period-Doubling and Rudin-Shapiro structures are fabricated in such a way that the optical thickness of each layer is one quarter of 600 and 640 nm respectively. We find that porous silicon Period-Doubling dielectric multilayers could demonstrate the optical properties similar to the classical periodic Febry–Perot interference filters with one or multiple resonant peaks, but with an advantage of having total optical thickness much lesser than the periodic structures. Additionally, light propagation in porous silicon Rudin-Shapiro structures is investigated for the first time, both theoretically and experimentally. The reflectance spectra of the structures exhibit photonic band gaps centered at predetermined wavelengths. In both cases, numerical simulation of light transmission is performed using transfer matrix method.     

Electron emission characteristics of the porous polycrystalline silicon diode

It is estimated that a porous polysilicon (PPS) diode with a structure of Au/PPS/n-type Si operates as an efficient stable surface emitting cold cathode. 2.0 μm of an non-doped polysilicon layer is formed on an heavily doped n-type silicon wafer and anodized in a solution of HF (50%):ethanol=1:1 under illumination by a 500 W tungsten lamp from a distance of 20 cm. The electron emission properties of the PPS diode were investigated as a function of anodizing condition such as anodizing current density. The electron emission trajectory was investigated, and it was also demonstrated their good uniformity in the emitting area.     

Current–voltage and low-frequency noise characteristics of structures with porous silicon layers exposed to different gases

Current–voltage and noise characteristics of porous silicon (PS)/single crystalline silicon (SCS) samples were measured under exposure to dry air, air +0.4% CO, dry air +1.7% CO, and dry air+ethyl alcohol vapor. The samples have a sandwich structure comprising Al/PS/SCS/Al. For the dry air +CO mixtures, the noise level was sensitive not only to the presence of CO but also to its percentage, and an increase of the CO concentration led to a change in the spectral density function of the low-frequency noise.     

Optical waveguides in porous silicon pre-patterned by localised nitrogen implantation.

FIPOS technology forms islands of silicon isolated from a silicon substrate by (oxidised) porous silicon. The larger refractive index of the silicon islands suggests their use as optical waveguides. Sets of these silicon islands have been fabricated and the anticipated waveguiding has been observed at wavelengths of 1.15 and 1.3 μm in the silicon islands. However, the dominant waveguiding in these FIPOS structures is observed in the porous silicon between the silicon islands, close to the sample surface. A simple dynamic model of the anodisation process has been developed to explain the origin of this unexpected waveguiding.     

Optical and microstructural properties of self-assembled InAs quantum structures in silicon

The InAs quantum structures were formed in silicon by sequential ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing. Two kinds of crystalline InAs nanostructures were successfully synthesized: nanodots (NDs) and nanopyramids (NPs). The peaks at 215 and 235 cm^?1, corresponding to the transverse optical (TO) and longitudinal optical (LO) InAs single-phonon modes, respectively, are clearly visible in the Raman spectra. Moreover, the PL band at around 1.3 µm, due to light emission from InAs NDs with an average diameter 7±2 nm, was observed. The InAs NPs were found only in samples annealed for 20 ms at temperatures ranging from 1000 up to 1200°C. The crystallinity and pyramidal shape of InAs quantum structures were confirmed by HRTEM and XRD techniques. The average size of the NPs is 50 nm base and 50 nm height, and they are oriented parallel to the Si (001) planes. The lattice parameter of the NPs increases from 6.051 to 6.055 Å with the annealing temperature increasing from 1100 to 1200°C, due to lattice relaxation. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows almost stoichiometric composition of the InAs NPs.