Title: Porous silicon as a promising material for photonics

Authors: Bui Huy, Pham Van Hoi, Phan Hong Khoi, Nguyen Thuy Van, Do Thuy Chi

Addresses: Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, P.O. Box 429, Bo Ho, Cau Giay Distr., Hanoi10.000, Vietnam. ' Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, P.O. Box 429, Bo Ho, Cau Giay Distr., Hanoi10.000, Vietnam. ' Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, P.O. Box 429, Bo Ho, Cau Giay Distr., Hanoi10.000, Vietnam. ' Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, P.O. Box 429, Bo Ho, Cau Giay Distr., Hanoi10.000, Vietnam. ' Thai Nguyen University of Education, Luong Ngoc Quyen Road, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam

Abstract: Electrochemical etching – a usual technique in nanotechnology – creates porous silicon with novel and useful properties. The considerable and controllable changes in the electronic structure and refractive index of porous silicon make it a promising material for photonics in comparison with bulk silicon. In this paper, we review as well as report on some interesting and unique properties of porous silicon material. In studying porous silicon as a low-dimensional material, we focus on the effect of the surface passivation of silicon nanocrystals on photoluminescence characteristics of such zero-dimensional crystals. As an optical material, we demonstrate the fabrication method and optical properties of the planar waveguide as well as the active waveguide and optical interference filters operated in infrared wavelengths. In addition, we investigated the effect of energy transfer from silicon nanocrystals to erbium ions in the erbium-doped porous silicon waveguide and also elaborate on the origins of the difference between the reflectivity spectra from fabricated filters and that of the simulation program.

Keywords: porous silicon; low-dimensional material; decay rate; planar waveguide; energy transfer; optical filters; nanotechnology; photonics; surface passivation; silicon nanocrystals; photoluminescence.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2011.038212

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2011 Vol.8 No.3/4/5, pp.360 - 370

Published online: 21 Jan 2011 *

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