Defect engineering in implantation technology of silicon light-emitting structures with dislocation-related luminescence

Results obtained in development of physical foundations of ion implantation technology for fabrication of silicon light-emitting structures (LESs) based on dislocation-related luminescence and intended for operation at wavelengths close to ∼1.6 μm are summarized. The development of the concept of defect engineering in the technology of semiconductor devices makes it possible to determine the fundamental aspects of the process of defect formation; reveal specific features of the emission spectra related to changes in the implantation conditions of Er, Dy, Ho, O, and Si ions and the subsequent annealing; and design light-emitting structures with a desirable spectrum of luminescent centers and extended structural defects. The technological conditions in which only a single type of extended structural defect (Frank loops, perfect prismatic loops, or pure edge dislocations) is introduced into the light-emitting layer are found, which enables analysis of the correlation between the concentration of extended defects of a certain type and the intensity of lines of the dislocation-related luminescence. The key role of intrinsic point lattice defects in the origination and transformation of extended structural defects and luminescent centers responsible for the dislocation-related luminescence is revealed. It is found that the efficiency of luminescence excitation from the so-called D1 centers, which are of particular interest for practical applications, varies by more than two orders of magnitude between structures fabricated using different technological procedures. High-efficiency silicon light-emitting diodes with room-temperature dislocation-related luminescence have been fabricated.