A novel approach for the optical activation of rare earths in rare earth-doped porous silicon (PS:RE), microwave heating method,was first reported. The effects of sample-placement mods and microwave heating time on the room-temperature photoluminescence in the infrared region for PS:Er and PS:Nd, prepared with constant-potenial electrochemical doping,were investigated.The heated samples were observed to be homogeneous in appearance and to emit imtense room- temperature photoluminescence around 1.54μm and 1.60μm, which are assigned to the intrashell 4f-4f transitions of Er^3^+ ions (^4I~1~3~/~2--^4I~1~5~/~2) and Nd^3^+ ions(^4F~3~/~2--^4I~1~1~/~2), respectively. In addition to the thermal activation,the non-thermal interaction of microwave radiation with PS:RE, mainly the spread of rare earths and the trapping of oxygen with rare earths in the pofous layer, is considered to play an important role in the optical activation of RE^3^+ ions.

Key words: POROUS SILICON, RARE EARTH, ERBIUM, DOPE, PHOTOLUMINESCENCE, MICROWAVE HEATING