SiO2films containing Si nanocrystals (nc-Si) and Er were prepared and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were studied. The samples exhibited luminescence peaks at 0.81 and 1.54 &mgr;m, which could be assigned to the electron-hole recombination in nc-Si and the intra-4ftransition inEr3+,respectively. Correlation between the intensities of the two luminescence peaks was studied as functions of Er concentration and excitation power. The present results clearly demonstrate that excitation ofEr3+occurs through the recombination of photogenerated carriers spatially confined in nc-Si and the subsequent energy transfer toEr3+. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.