Method of making improved electrical contact to porous silicon using intercalated conductive materials

摘要

This invention describes an improved method of making electrical contact to porous silicon using intercalated conductive materials. The intercalation process may use gaseous, liquid or solid components to form conductive contacts to the silicon structures of the porous silicon. The intensity of the light emitted by porous silicon layers and devices can therefore be increased by the improved electrical interconnection between the mechanically, chemically and thermally fragile porous silicon and the device electrodes. The intercalation process uses conductive materials that interpenetrate the structures of the porous silicon thereby providing the improved electrical properties. Increasing the surface area over which electrical contact is made increases the junction area which allows increased electrical current flow across the junction. The increased electrical current flow across the junction provides an increased number of electrical charge carriers undergoing radiative recombination. Increased device efficiency is therefore provided as the number of emitted photons (corresponding to the optical brightness of the device) is proportional to the electrical charge carriers undergoing radiative recombination.