Optoelectronic device based on Rare Earths electroluminescence

Abstract

In this Master Thesis, the fabrication and the structural, optical and electrical properties of Al/rare earth (RE)/Al/SiO2 and RE/SiO2 nanomultilayers have been studied. The nanomultilayers were deposited by means of e-beam evaporation on top of p-type Si substrates. Two different RE species were considered: Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions, as they exhibit a narrow and strong emission in the green and red spectral ranges, respectively. The main goal of the present work is achieving optical activation of those rare earth elements, and thus obtaining light emission from their intra-4f and 5d-to-4f shell transitions. Optical characterization indicates that optically active RE3+ ions had been successfully fabricated. The electrical and electroluminescence analysis yielded promising results to include this material in future applications of illumination and integrated emitting devices for optoelectronics.