Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Photoluminescence of silicon implanted with erbium and oxygen was measured in the time domain focussing on the temperature and excitation density dependence of the intra-4f-shell emission from Er3+. The decay of this luminescence is similar for the different optically active crystal field split Er-centres. At low temperatures the luminescence transients consist of a fast initial non-exponential component followed by slower exponential behaviour. An increase in excitation density results in a higher proportion of the luminescence decaying with the faster decay time. Our results indicate a relation of the fast component to nonradiative processes. Auger recombination is proposed as a possible mechanism.