Low Temperature Photoluminescence Study of Holmium and Thulium Implanted into III-V Semiconductors and Silicon.

摘要

Low temperature photoluminescence studies were performed on holmium implanted into InP, GaAs, and Si; and thulium implanted into AlGaAs, GaAs, and Si. Samples were annealed by the conventional furnace and rapid thermal techniques. None of the characteristic 4f emissions of holmium were found in the spectral region of .73 to 1.55 eV. AlGaAs:Tm showed strong thulium emissions in the .93 to 1.03 eV region. These emissions were studied and compared to those in GaAs:Tm. Low and high temperature annealed samples showed evidence of trivalent Tm centers. Temperature dependence studies showed that thulium 4f emissions were present above 200 K but quench by 240 K. Laser excitation power dependence studies showed that the luminescent intensity of the main thulium 4f line depends linearly on the square root of laser power. This result implies that non-radiative decay mechanisms complete with the excitation and subsequent radiative decay of the thulium 4f shell. Also observed for the first time were thulium 4f emissions in the .93 to 1.03 eV region in high purity silicon implanted with thulium.