Enhanced Vertical Light Extraction From Ultrathin Amorphous Si–Si$_{3}$ N$_{4}$ Multilayers With Photonic Crystal Patterns

We have investigated the significant enhancement of light extraction from amorphous Si-Si₃N₄ multiple-quantum-well structures, in which two-dimensional hexagonal-lattice air-hole photonic crystals (PCs) were integrated. The vertical spectral integrated intensity of light emission around 674 nm was enhanced up to times due to strong coupling to the inherent leaky modes or radiation modes near Gamma point of PC's band structure. The experimental observations also suggested that coupling to leaky modes should be more beneficial for light extraction enhancement.