Annealing Effect on the Activation of 1.54 [νm Emission from Erbium in a-Si:H Matrix Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering

ABSTRACTCumulative thermal annealing (TA) changes the photoluminescence (PL) intensity in erbium-doped a-Si:H films prepared using DC magnetron sputtering of a composite Er-Si target at substrate temperature 200°C. The intensity of erbium-related 1.54 νm PL at 77 K is enhanced about 50 times after TA at 300°C for 15 min in nitrogen atmosphere. No erbium-related PL is observed after TA at T≤500°C. The TA process is discussed in terms of a model of partial structural rearrangement in an a-Si(Er):H amorphous network.