[en] The authors have studied photoluminescence (PL) from Er-doped Si-rich Si oxide (SRSO) films deposited by magnetron sputtering of an Er+Si+SiO₂ composite target in Ar or Ar+H₂ ambients. When the samples were annealed in N₂, for the film grown in an Ar ambient, the PL annealing behaviors reveal that the emissions from the film are defect-related and that the Er³⁺ PL at 1.54 μm is possibly triggered by a defect-mediated energy transfer process; while for the films grown in an Ar+H₂ ambient, the emissions from the SRSO matrix are suppressed and the Er PL intensities increase significantly but differently dependent on the Ar:H₂ ratios during sputtering. After annealing the samples in an Ar+5%H₂ (FG) ambient, however, almost no Er PL was observed from the film grown in the Ar ambient, while the Er PL intensities of the films grown in the Ar+H₂ ambient increase further compared to those annealed in N₂. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the absorption of the samples after FG annealing is weaker than after annealing in N₂. The PL properties have also been compared to those of a sample grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The roles of hydrogen during sputtering and postdeposition annealing are discussed

[en] We have investigated the nature of violet-blue emission from (Ge, Er) codoped Si oxides (Ge+Er+SiO₂) using photoluminescence (PL) and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) measurements. The PL spectra and PAS analysis for a control Ge-doped SiO₂ (Ge+SiO₂) indicate that Ge-associated neutral oxygen vacancies (Ge-NOV) are likely responsible for the major emission in the violet-blue band. For Ge+Er+SiO₂, both Ge-NOV and GeO color centers are believed to be responsible for the emission band. The addition of Er has a significant influence on the emission, which is discussed in terms of Er-concentration-related structural change in the Ge+Er+SiO₂