Electrically-pumped Si-laser using nano-particle-modified metal-oxide-Si structures

Measurement on the carrier lifetime shows that the radiative-recombination rate in Si can be enhanced to be more than twice of the non-radiative-recombination rate at large injection current using the nano-particle modified metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) structure. With the enhanced radiative recombination, the device with such a MOS structure exhibits lasing behaviours under forward bias of current injection at room-temperature and cw operation. The laser has the threshold current of 56 mA. The lasing wavelength well corresponds to the Si indirect-bandgap energy.