An electroluminescent device comprises a porous silicon region adjacent a bulk silicon region, together with a top electrical contact of transparent indium tin oxide and a bottom electrical contact of aluminium. The device includes a heavily doped region to provide an ohmic contact. The porous silicon region is fabricated by anodizing through an ion-implanted surface layer of the bulk silicon. The silicon remains unannealed between the ion-implantation and anodization stages. The device has a rectifying p-n junction within the porous silicon region.