A study of the nature and characteristics of light radiation in reverse-biased silicon junctions

Luminescence on the order of 0.01 W/cm/sup 2/ is emitted in high electric field regions of the junction in reverse-biased silicon. The results of a study that sought to investigate the optical emission and to yield a probable emission mechanism are presented. The device characteristics, such as current-voltage, intensity-voltage, radiation spectra, and crystal defects, associated with the light emission from junctions of various geometry and orientation were studied. Special effort was taken to find an association between light-emitting regions and crystal defect sites.<
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