Premium
The Self‐Compression of Injected Electron–Hole Plasma in Silicon
Author(s) -
Altukhov P.D.,
Kuzminov E.G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3951(200208)232:2<364::aid-pssb364>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - electroluminescence , plasma , diode , materials science , luminescence , atomic physics , semiconductor , silicon , electron , optoelectronics , physics , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , quantum mechanics
A recombination radiation line of electron–hole plasma, observed in electroluminescence spectra of tunneling silicon MOS diodes, has been investigated at the temperature T ≥ 300 K. The internal quantum efficiency of the luminescence, equal to (1–3) × 10 —3 , appears to be unexpectedly high. The spectral position of the luminescence line indicates that a weak overheating of the diode by the diode current results in an anomalously strong reduction of the semiconductor energy gap inside the electron–hole plasma. A unique threshold optical hysteresis is observed in the luminescence intensity with changing diode current. These results are explained by condensation of the injected electron–hole plasma into a dense state. A reduction of the semiconductor energy gap due to generation of phonons by the plasma is discussed as a reason of the plasma condensation. The plasma condensation is identified as the plasma self‐compression.