Narrow-Linewidth and Wavelength-Tunable Red-Light Emission From an Si-Quantum-Dot Embedded Oxynitride Distributed Bragg Reflector

• Published in: IEEE journal of selected topics in quantum electronics 2012-11, Vol.18 (6), p.1643-1649
• Main Authors: Wu, Chung-Lun, Lin, Yung-Hsiang, Lin, Gong-Ru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bragg reflectors; Distributed Bragg reflector (DBR); Distributed Bragg reflectors; Emission; filtering and narrow linewidth; Luminescence; Oxynitrides; Periodic structures; photoluminescence (PL); Quantum dots; Refractive index; Si quantum dots (Si-QDs); Si-rich SiO _x and SiN _x; Silicon; Silicon dioxide; Simulation; Spontaneous emission; Transmittance; Wavelengths
• ISSN: 1077-260X; 1558-4542
• DOI: 10.1109/JSTQE.2011.2170663

Wavelength-tunable narrow-linewidth red-light emission generated from Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) that are embedded in Si-rich SiO x /SiN x :Si-QDs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) are demonstrated using low-temperature and low-plasma chemical vapor deposition. With increasing layer thickness Δ d of the 20-pair SiO x /SiN x :Si-QD DBR structure, its narrow linewidth and high-extinction-ratio transmittance peak between central and nearby stopband serve as high- Q filter to sharpen the broadband Si-QD photoluminescence (PL) from 140 to 19 nm. By comparing the PL intensity of 667 nm for a DBR with the 20-time multiplied single-pair case, an enhancement factor of 1.86 is in good agreement with the theoretical estimation of 1.74. The transmitted PL peak wavelength λ p of PL spectrum is tunable from 667 to 706 nm, as predicted by a relationship between the shifted wavelength and the refractive index of Δλ p ≅ 2 ( n SiO x + n SiN x ) Δ d . The transmitted PL response can be simulated from the luminescence summation of each light-emitting layer within the DBR structure.