Fabrication and characterization of ultraviolet photodetectors based on silicon nitride nanostructures prepared by magnetron sputtering

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In this work, ultraviolet photodetectors have been fabricated by depositing silicon nitride nanoparticles on a p-type silicon substrate by closed-field unbalanced dual magnetron sputtering technique. The structural characteristics of silicon nitride have been identified through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Ultraviolet–visible transmission and absorption spectra of the silicon nitride thin films have been recorded. The maximum spectral responsivities of these photodetectors have been measured. The results show that these photodetectors have quantum efficiencies between 0.421 and 0.479 and specific detectivity up to 2.33 × 1011 cm W−1 Hz−1 at 10 kHz. Accordingly, silicon nitride can be considered as an applicable candidate for ultraviolet photodetectors.