Visible and 1.54 $\mu$m Emission From Amorphous Silicon Nitride Films by Reactive Cosputtering

In this paper, we present our main results on the structural and optical properties of light-emitting amorphous silicon nitride (SiN
x
) films fabricated by reactive magnetron cosputtering. In particular, we discuss the origin of the visible emission in amorphous silicon nitride films and investigate the optical emission properties of Erbium-doped amorphous silicon nitride (Er:SiN
x
). The mechanisms of Er excitation and de-excitation in Er:SiN
x
are discussed in relation to the engineering of efficient light sources at 1.54 μm for on-chip nanophotonics applications. These results suggest that Er-doped amorphous silicon nitride films have a large potential for the fabrication of optically active photonic devices based on the Si technology.