The improvement effect of carrier injection by Ag nanoparticles on the electroluminescence of SiNx-based LEDs

The injection of carriers for SiNx-based light-emitting devices (LEDs) is improved by the addition of silver nanoparticels (Ag NPs) onto the luminescence matrix. The threshold voltage of the device and the turn-on voltage for thermal emission of carriers are decreased. No visible electroluminescence (EL) from SiNx-based LEDs can be detected under the Poole-Frenkel transport of carriers. This EL can be resolved when the transport of carriers along their corresponding band tails is dominated under a higher voltage. The turn-on voltage of EL is decreased significantly by the addition of Ag NPs due to this improved carrier injections.