Luminescence from Si-Implanted SiO2-Si3N4 Nano Bi-Layers for Electrophotonic Integrated Si Light Sources

In this paper, we present structural and luminescence studies of silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRO) and SRO-Si bi-layers for integration in emitter-waveguide pairs that can be used for photonic lab-on-a-chip sensing applications. The results from bi and mono layers are also compared. Two clearly separated emission bands are respectively attributed to a combination of defect and quantum confinement-related emission in the SRO, as well as to defects found in an oxynitride transition zone that forms between the oxide and the nitride films, while ruling out quantum-confinement phenomena in the silicon nitride.