Study of photon-trapping phenomenon in porous silicon layer

Porous silicon samples were prepared for optical studies by using the photoluminescence (PL), Raman scattering (RS), as well as the absolute reflectance and ellipsometry methods. Results show that the porous Si has low optic constants, and can trap the visible photons of more than 95%, but give no evidence of a strong interband transition existing in the visible region. The Bruggeman effective-medium-approximation (EMA) and Lorentz oscillator models were used in data analyses. Calculations show that the layer dispersion effect may result in a red shift of the PL peak. The possible mechanism for the PL and Raman enhancement as well as the photon trap phenomenon was discussed, and was attributed mainly to the random multiple micro-reflections in the porous-Si layer having extremely large internal micro-surfaces.