The high quality β-FeSi2/Si films whose surfaces are smooth and even on Si (1 1 1) are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and the sizes of β-FeSi2 nanocrystals are about 20~50 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of hybrid β-FeSi2/Si films are investigated at low temperature (20 K). The β-FeSi2/Si films show a relatively PL peak at 1540 nm, which corresponds to the band-band recombination of β-FeSi2. Er3 + is doped into Si layer, and the β-FeSi2/Si∶Er shows increase of PL intensity and is a novel approach to decrease the nonradiative centers. The infrared emission of β-FeSi2/Si∶Er films originat from the stark of 4I13/2→4I15/2 in Er3+ and band-band recombination in β-FeSi2.