On the role of dislocation loops in silicon light emitting diodes

The role of boron-induced dislocation loops on the suppression of the luminescence thermal quenching in silicon-based light-emitting diodes is investigated here. Luminescence measurements and cross-sectional transmission-electron-microscopy images from devices fabricated by boron implantation into crystalline silicon, and into a pre-amorphized substrate, to prevent the boron-induced loops formation, were compared. The results show that, in the devices incorporating dislocation loops between the depletion region and sample surface the boron induced loops , the thermal quenching has been completely eliminated, in contrast with devices fabricated from the pre-amorphized substrate where strong thermal quenching is still observed. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2130533