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Controlling photon emission from silicon for photonic applications

The importance of a photon source that would be compatible with silicon circuitry is crucial for data communication networks. A photon source with energies ranging from UV to near infrared can be activated in Si as originationg from defects related to dislocations, vacancies, strain induced band edge transitions and quantum confinement effects. Using an etching method developed in this work, one can also enhance selectively the UV-VIS, band edge emission and emissions at telecom wavelengths, which are tunable depending on surface treatment. Deuterium D2O etching favors near infrared emission with a characteristic single peak at 1320 nm at room temperature. The result offers an exciting solution to advanced microelectronics The method involves the treatment of Si surface by deuterium Deuterium containing acid vapor, resulting in a layer that emits at 1320 nm. Etching without deuterium, a strong band edge emission can be induced at 1150 nm or an emission at 1550 nm can be created depending on the engineered surface structure of silicon. Schottky diodes fabricated on treated surfaces exhibit a strong rectifying characteristics in both cases.