Design of a metasurface deflector for guided absorption enhancement in a Si PIN photodiode

Abstract

We numerically demonstrated a surface-illuminated Si PIN photodiode (PD) structure with a metasurface composed of etched isosceles triangle pillars that can enhance sensitivity in the near-infrared wavelength range (NIR) by enabling directional scattering (DS) of photons. The metasurface is designed to act as a deflector to increase the absorption efficiency by extending the photon dwell time. This is particularly effective in thin intrinsic layers (i-layers) of silicon, surpassing the capabilities of conventional omnidirectional scattering gratings. Our results show a 3.5-fold increase in internal quantum efficiency over wavelengths above 0.9 µm compared to the structure without metasurface. The absorption enhancement brought about by directional scattering is not limited to thin i-layers; it can potentially improve a wide range of photodiode geometries and structures. Furthermore, the proposed structure, consisting of an all-Si layer and a simple geometric etching process, makes it compatible with foundry fabrication methods and opens up new possibilities for expanding applications of Si PDs.