Earlier we published the results of a small subset of samples with fewer details on system configuration. The produced thin films showed new and promising properties compared to thin films fabricated using only PECVD.

We present here the results of RE doping using a custom-made integrated magnetron sputtering and electron cyclotron-plasma enhance chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) system so-called IMS ECR-PECVD, taking advantage of two common deposition systems and mitigating the weaknesses of many other existing in-situ and ex-situ RE doping methods. The RE concentration and the atomic arrangements of the RE ions in the host matrix highly depend on the fabrication/processing technique. Another critical factor determining perspective device performances is the precise control of RE concentration. The optical quality of RE emissions is highly sensitive to the sensitization paths the host matrix provides. RE dopants with very low concentrations (in the order of a few atomic percent) can produce extremely stable, well-defined and sharp emissions with the capability of up-conversion and down-conversion for different light source applications. Among different approaches used to improve the optical performance of Si-based optoelectronic devices, rare earth (RE) doping is a subject of interest due to RE’s unique characteristic of inter-4f transitions offering a multitude of emissions.

Silicon (Si), the cornerstone material for microelectronics, is of particular interest for the new generation of photonic devices in one single chip owing to its cost-effectiveness in the use of the existing well-developed technology, complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Upgrades in semiconductor production technology inevitably are a part of innovation in this information age dominated by telecommunications, green energies, sensors, light-emitting devices, lasers, and applications in quantum computing allow long coherence lifetime. IMS ECR-PECVD pushes the solubility limit of the rare-earth dopant in silicon films to 17 at.% for the desired future nanophotonic devices. The deposition parameters to fabricate crystalline structure (Tb 2Si 2O 7) in oxygen-rich samples are reported where Tb ions are optically active. We established the first comprehensive report on the deposition parameters of argon flow and sputtering power to achieve desired rare-earth concentrations in a wide composition range of terbium (Tb) doped-silicon oxide (Tb:SiO x) matrices including silicon-rich ( x 2), and stoichiometric silicon oxide ( x = 2). This tailor-made system provides users with highly homogeneous and pure thin films with less undesired hydrogen and well-controlled rare-earth concentration compared to existing methods of rare-earth doping, such as metalorganic powders, sputtering, and ion implantation. A new integrated deposition system taking advantage of magnetron sputtering and electron cyclotron-plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (IMS ECR-PECVD) is presented that mitigates the drawbacks of each fabrication system.

Sputtering physical vapor deposition