Visible photoluminescence from porous a-Si:H and porous a-Si:C:H thin films

Porous a-Si:H and porous a-Si:C:H thin films and their visible photoluminescence are discussed. Boron-doped p-type a-Si:H samples showed visible photoluminescence and others did not. Discrete defect or impurity levels were evidenced in temperature-dependent luminescence measurements, where there were multiple luminescence peaks. In porous amorphous silicon the luminescence energy does not change with porosity. Crystallinity is not required for light emission to occur.