Abstract: Optoelectronic devices have a photoactive region containing semiconductor material doped with ions of a rare earth element. Characteristic transitions associated with internal energy states of the rare earth dopant ions are modified by direct interaction of those states with an energy state in the semiconductor band structure. Eu+ and Yb+ doped silicon LEDs and photodetectors are described. The LEDs are emissive of radiation in the wavelength range 1300 nm to 1600 nm, important in optical communications.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of an optoelectronic device includes the steps of: providing or forming a body of crystalline silicon containing substitutional carbon atoms, and irradiating said body of crystalline silicon with protons (H+) to create radiative defect centers in a photoactive region of the device, wherein at least some of said defect centers are G-center complexes having the form Cs—SiI—Cs, where Cs is a substitutional carbon atom and S¾ is an interstitial silicon atom. An optoelectronic device (FIG. 3) manufactured using the method is described.

Abstract: An electronic or optoelectronic device fabricated from a crystalline material in which a parameter of a bandgap characteristic of said crystalline material has been modified locally by introducing distortions on an atomic scale in the lattice structure of said crystalline material and the electronic and/or optoelectronic parameters of said device are dependent on the modification of said bandgap is exemplified by a radiation emissive optoelectronic semiconductor device which comprises a junction (10) formed from a p-type layer (11) and an n-type layer (12), both formed from indirect bandgap semiconductor material. The p-type layer (11) contains a array of dislocation loops which create a strain field to confine spatially and promote radiative recombination of the charge carriers.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of an optoelectronic device includes the steps of: providing or forming a body of crystalline silicon containing substitutional carbon atoms, and irradiating said body of crystalline silicon with protons (H+) to create radiative defect centres in a photoactive region of the device, wherein at least some of said defect centres are G-centre complexes having the form Cs—SiI—Cs, where Cs is a substitutional carbon atom and S¾ is an interstitial silicon atom. An optoelectronic device (FIG. 3) manufactured using the method is described.

Abstract: Optoelectronic devices have a photoactive region containing semiconductor material doped with ions of a rare earth element. Characteristic transitions associated with internal energy states of the rare earth dopant ions are modified by direct interaction of those states with an energy state in the semiconductor band structure. Eu+ and Yb+ doped silicon LEDs and photodetectors are described. The LEDs are emissive of radiation in the wavelength range 1300 nm to 1600 nm, important in optical communications.

Abstract: An electronic or optoelectronic device fabricated from a crystalline material in which a parameter of a bandgap characteristic of said crystalline material has been modified locally by introducing distortions on an atomic scale in the lattice structure of said crystalline material and the electronic and/or optoelectronic parameters of said device are dependent on the modification of said bandgap is exemplified by a radiation emissive optoelectronic semiconductor device which comprises a junction (10) formed from a p-type layer (11) and an n-type layer (12), both formed from indirect bandgap semiconductor material. The p-type layer (11) contains an array of dislocation loops which create a strain field to confine spatially and promote radiative recombination of the charge carriers.