Enhanced emission from Si-based light-emitting diodes using surface plasmons

Abstract

Excitation of surface plasmons on metallic nanoparticles has potential for increasing the absorption and emission from thin Si devices. We report an eight-fold enhancement in electroluminescence from silicon-on-insulator light-emitting diodes at 900nm via excitation of surface plasmon resonance in silver nanoparticles, along with a redshift in the electroluminescence by 70nm by overcoating the nanoparticles with ZnS. The enhancement is due to coupling between the electromagnetic excitations of the silver nanoparticles and the waveguide modes.