Model representations of electric current transfer in erbium-doped porous silicon

Abstract

Hypotheses of current transfer mechanisms in electroluminescent structures of porous silicon with erbium ions described by the theory of discrete tunnelling are proposed. The excitation of pre-breakdown electroluminescence in the pores occurs by the flight of charge carriers through the system silicon nanocrystal - erbium cluster - oxide layer. A numerical calculation of the electric field distribution in the porous medium and the current transfer along the chain of silicon nanocrystals has been carried out. The results of calculating the current-voltage characteristic are in qualitative alignment with the experimental data and practically applicable to the description of the theory of electroluminescence in systems with porous silicon.