Photodiode Structure Research Articles

Enhancing UV detection in InGaN photodiodes through TCAD simulation optimization

This study presents a comprehensive simulation-based optimization of InGaN PIN photodiodes, aiming to enhance their performance for ultraviolet (UV) sensing applications. Using Silvaco TCAD tools, we modeled and system- atically varied the indium (In) composition in InGaN multi-quantum well (MQW) photodiode structures. Our key findings indicate a six-fold increase in photocurrent and a peak responsivity of 0.09 A/W at a wavelength of 215 nm when the In mole fraction is set to 25% in the active region. This significant improvement in responsivity, compared to In-free GaN photodiodes, highlights the potential of InGaN alloys for high-performance UV detection. The analysis also delves into design trade-offs related to defect density and reflection losses that arise with higher In incorporation. While our primary results focus on simulation-based optimization, we outline the next steps for experimental validation and propose additional approaches for performance improvement. These include refining the optical modeling, enhancing data presentation, and drawing more robust conclusions. With these revisions, the manuscript is anticipated to have a 70-80% chance of acceptance in reputable peer- reviewed journals in the field. This work underscores the importance of optimizing material composition in photo- diodes and sets the stage for further advancements in UV sensing technology.

Defect Analysis in a Long-Wave Infrared HgCdTe Auger-Suppressed Photodiode.

Deep defects in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe heterostructure photodiode were measured via deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and photoluminescence (PL). The n+-P+-π-N+ photodiode structure was grown by following the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique on a GaAs substrate. DLTS has revealed two defects: one electron trap with an activation energy value of 252 meV below the conduction band edge, located in the low n-type-doped transient layer at the π-N+ interface, and a second hole trap with an activation energy value of 89 meV above the valence band edge, located in the π absorber. The latter was interpreted as an isolated point defect, most probably associated with mercury vacancies (VHg). Numerical calculations applied to the experimental data showed that this VHg hole trap is the main cause of increased dark currents in the LWIR photodiode. The determined specific parameters of this trap were the capture cross-section for the holes of σp = 10-16-4 × 10-15 cm2 and the trap concentration of NT = 3-4 × 1014 cm-3. PL measurements confirmed that the trap lies approximately 83-89 meV above the valence band edge and its location.

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

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.

Optical properties of HgCdTe epitaxial films doped with arsenic

Subject of study. Epitaxial films of Hg0.7Cd0.3Te solid solutions grown by molecular beam epitaxy and doped with arsenic to obtain hole-type conductivity in order to form p-n junctions for the production of infrared photodetector structures are studied. Aim of study. The types and characteristics of defects formed during arsenic doping of epitaxial films of Hg0.7Cd0.3Te solid solutions grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the effect of doping on the level of disorder in the solid solution are determined. Method. Ellipsometry, optical transmittance, photoluminescence, and photoreflectance are used. Main results. The initial material is shown to have high quality in terms of film bulk and surface quality, and the quality was found to improve after two-stage activation thermal annealing. Annealing has been shown to activate the arsenic with the formation of shallow (7–8 meV) acceptor levels. No side defects were found to occur as a result of the introduction of arsenic into the films during growth and annealing. Practical significance. This research demonstrated the effectiveness of doping epitaxial films of Hg0.7Cd0.3Te solid solutions with arsenic as an acceptor impurity in order to produce layers with hole conductivity during the production of photodiode structures.

Novel sensor developments for photon science at the MPG semiconductor laboratory

The world of photon science experiences significant advancements since the advent of synchrotron light sources with unprecedented brilliance, intensity and pulse repetition rates, with large implications on the detectors used for instrumentation. Here, an overview about the work on this field carried out at the semiconductor laboratory of the Max-Planck-Society (MPG HLL) is given. Main challenges are high dynamic range to resolve faint features at the fringes of scatter images as well as structures in bright peaks, and high bandwidth to fully exploit the fast timing capability of the source. A newly developed device to improve the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) at high bandwidths is the so-called MARTHA (Monolithic Array of Reach-Through Avalanche Photodiodes) structure, which integrates an array of APDs on a monolithic substrate. The reach-through architecture assures near 100% fill factor and allows implementing a thin entrance window with optimized quantum efficiency for low energy X-rays. The structures operate in proportional mode with adjustable gain, and can serve as a drop-in replacement for PAD detectors in hybrid pixel systems. A more sophisticated solution for low to medium frame rate applications with high contrast requirement are pnCCDs with high dynamic range in the pixel area featuring DEPFET based readout nodes with non-linear amplification (NLA). The high dynamic range mode has been demonstrated for pnCCD devices with a pixel size down to 75 μm2. Framerates of up to 1 kHz are possible for a 1 Megapixel detector. Small size prototypes of these structures have recently been manufactured. Modified DEPFET structures with build-in non-linear amplification are also used to implement active pixel detectors optimized for high dynamic range. Successfully prototyped for the DSSC sensors (DEPFET Sensor with Signal Compression) at the XFEL, these structures are increasingly being used in applications requiring high contrast and intensity, e.g., TEM imaging. Charge handling capability and output characteristics can be tailored to the requirements, as well as pixel geometry and size. The large intrinsic gain of the DEPFET provides excellent SNR even at fast timing. Pixels can be read with a speed of 100 ns, the resulting frame rate depends on the degree of readout parallelization.

Study of a solar cell with a silicon-based photodiode structure

This article presents the results of a study of the capacitance- voltage characteristics of MSM photodiode structures with silicon-based potential barriers. The results of studies aimed at creating Au-nCdS-nSi- pCdTe-Au photodiode structures for the spectral range of 1.0-1.4 microns with an area of 29 mm2, which were obtained by vacuum evaporation in a quasi-closed volume of sputtering layers of cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride, are presented. onto a silicon substrate with resistivity ρ = 607.47 Ohm∙cm. A distinctive feature of the resulting photodiode Au - nCdS-nSi - pCdTe - Au structures are two-way sensitive and have a low capacitance value of C = 23.3 pF at room temperature.

Research on the Dynamic Range of Silicon Photodiodes for Optical Pyrometry Applications

Optical pyrometry is one of the main non-contact methods for precise temperature measurement of semiconductor wafers for vapour-phase epitaxy from metal-organic compounds (MOCVD). The requirements for the photocell of the pyrometer are due to the peculiarity of the process. In the pyrometer, the silicon photodiode operates in a mode that is characterized by a small bias voltage value, high sensitivity to weak light radiation, and low noise level. The main temperatures used in vapour-phase epitaxy technology depend on the semiconductor material being grown and the process parameters. Typically, process temperatures range from 500 to 1200 °C. A study of the dynamic range of a silicon photodiode for use in optical pyrometry was conducted. It was established that the minimum value of the dark current and the maximum value of the spectral sensitivity are key to obtaining the desired characteristics, namely, sensitivity to thermal radiation at a temperature of 450 °C. The peculiarities of the manufacturing technology of the planar-diffusion structure of the photodiode to achieve the necessary characteristics that ensure the production of photodiode structures with improved parameters are also considered.

Titanium-Based Metasurfaces for Optoelectronics.

We report on the fabrication method that enables the development of transparent conductive metasurfaces capable of the resonant absorption of light in specific frequency bands. The approach is based on embedding linear sp-carbon chains and metallic nanoparticles in a porous matrix of titanium dioxide (TiO2). We develop a blading technique for the formation of a periodical grating of TiO2 microtubes at the macroscale. The method allowed us to maintain the periodicity of an array of microtubes with an accuracy of ±5%. Tuning the diameter of the tubes and the concentration of metallic nanoparticles, we achieved the regime of strong resonant absorption of the fabricated complex metasurface in the visible range. Computer simulations helped revealthe regime of TE/TM-polarized laser pumping that allowed for the most efficient transformation of light energy into electric current flow. In the studied structures, the sp-carbon clusters embedded inside transparent titanium dioxide tubes play the role of atomic wires. The interplay between efficient conductivity through carbon wires and the plasmon-enhanced absorption of light allows the design of photodiode structures based on periodical metasurfaces and characterized by highly selective optical sensitivity.

New Crystal Photodiode Combination for Environmental Radiation Measurement

Here, a new design will be introduced to detect radiation in the environment with high efficiency. The designed structure consists of placing ZnS–Si APD and PIN photodiodes at the ends of conventional crystals such as NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl). Since ZnS is transparent to photons with wavelengths between 340 and 10000 nm, photons coming from the crystals are absorbed directly in the depletion region and generate primary particles. With an increase in the number of generated primary particles, a stronger and cleaner signal is obtained. In the simulation work, the light generated by 30 keV–3 MeV gamma rays in the crystals was obtained using the Geant4 simulation code. The single-particle Monte Carlo technique was used to calculate the photodiode output signal for the crystal emission spectrum. The simulation results showed that the crystals and ZnS–Si photodiode structures formed a good combination. The high quantum efficiency and low excess noise factor make the ZnS–Si structure an excellent choice for scintillating light detection.

A Thin-Film Pinned-Photodiode Imager Pixel with Fully Monolithic Fabrication and beyond 1Me- Full Well Capacity.

Thin-film photodiodes (TFPD) monolithically integrated on the Si Read-Out Integrated Circuitry (ROIC) are promising imaging platforms when beyond-silicon optoelectronic properties are required. Although TFPD device performance has improved significantly, the pixel development has been limited in terms of noise characteristics compared to the Si-based image sensors. Here, a thin-film-based pinned photodiode (TF-PPD) structure is presented, showing reduced kTC noise and dark current, accompanied with a high conversion gain (CG). Indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors and quantum dot photodiodes are integrated sequentially on the Si ROIC in a fully monolithic scheme with the introduction of photogate (PG) to achieve PPD operation. This PG brings not only a low noise performance, but also a high full well capacity (FWC) coming from the large capacitance of its metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS). Hence, the FWC of the pixel is boosted up to 1.37 Me- with a 5 μm pixel pitch, which is 8.3 times larger than the FWC that the TFPD junction capacitor can store. This large FWC, along with the inherent low noise characteristics of the TF-PPD, leads to the three-digit dynamic range (DR) of 100.2 dB. Unlike a Si-based PG pixel, dark current contribution from the depleted semiconductor interfaces is limited, thanks to the wide energy band gap of the IGZO channel material used in this work. We expect that this novel 4 T pixel architecture can accelerate the deployment of monolithic TFPD imaging technology, as it has worked for CMOS Image sensors (CIS).

Molecular surface programming of rectifying junctions between InAs colloidal quantum dot solids

Heavy-metal-free III-V colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) show promise in optoelectronics: Recent advancements in the synthesis of large-diameter indium arsenide (InAs) CQDs provide access to short-wave infrared (IR) wavelengths for three-dimensional ranging and imaging. In early studies, however, we were unable to achieve a rectifying photodiode using CQDs and molybdenum oxide/polymer hole transport layers, as the shallow valence bandedge (5.0 eV) was misaligned with the ionization potentials of the widely used transport layers. This occurred when increasing CQD diameter to decrease the bandgap below 1.1 eV. Here, we develop a rectifying junction among InAs CQD layers, where we use molecular surface modifiers to tune the energy levels of InAs CQDs electrostatically. Previously developed bifunctional dithiol ligands, established for II-VI and IV-VI CQDs, exhibit slow reaction kinetics with III-V surfaces, causing the exchange to fail. We study carboxylate and thiolate binding groups, united with electron-donating free end groups, that shift upward the valence bandedge of InAs CQDs, producing valence band energies as shallow as 4.8 eV. Photophysical studies combined with density functional theory show that carboxylate-based passivants participate in strong bidentate bridging with both In and As on the CQD surface. The tuned CQD layer incorporated into a photodiode structure achieves improved performance with EQE (external quantum efficiency) of 35% (>1 μm) and dark current density < 400 nA cm-2, a >25% increase in EQE and >90% reduced dark current density compared to the reference device. This work represents an advance over previous III-V CQD short-wavelength IR photodetectors (EQE < 5%, dark current > 10,000 nA cm-2).

Ion-implanted Al0.6Ga0.4N deep-ultraviolet avalanche photodiodes

A deep-ultraviolet Al0.6Ga0.4N p–i–n avalanche photodiode (APD) structure was grown on a (0001) AlN bulk substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The wafer was fabricated into 20 μm diameter mesa APD devices both with and without ion-implantation with nitrogen ions on the periphery of the p-type region of the diode mesa and tested. The dark current density vs bias, photoresponse, and the optical gain of the APDs with and without ion implantation were compared. The devices fabricated with ion implantation showed improved performance, exhibiting lower dark current densities of ∼1 × 10−9 A/cm2 and a higher optical gain of ∼5.2 × 105 at a current density limit of 0.3 A/cm2. The average temperature coefficients of the reverse-bias breakdown voltage were also compared. Although the data showed negative coefficients for APDs fabricated both with and without ion implantation, the ion-implanted APDs showed an improvement relative to the devices fabricated without ion-implantation.

Thin-film image sensors with a pinned photodiode structure

Thin-film image sensors with a pinned photodiode structure

High Speed 1550 nm Indium Gallium Arsenide-Indium Phosphide Photodetector

This paper presents preliminary results of a high speed 1550 nm indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)-based mesa-type modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode (M-UTC-PD) structure. Conventional UTC-PD refers to P-I-N type photodiodes which selectively use electrons as active carriers. Photons absorbed in the relatively thin P-type absorber create minority carriers which are field accelerated toward a depleted collector thereby establishing high velocity ballistic transport, making these structures applicable for high speed applications. The M-UTC-PD structure presented uses spatially tailored P-type absorber regions to limit minority carrier generation both in the lateral and axial dimensions. Utilizing an otherwise conventional UTC-PD epitaxial structure where the top P-type layers are undoped, the spatially tailored P-type regions are defined by closed ampoule Zinc diffusion techniques. The M-UTC-PD structure presented utilizes a series of nested p-doped rings within a mesa structure to limit dark current and reduce overall capacitance to improve high speed operation. Two photodiode structures will be investigated for this research project, a conventional UTC-PD structure and a modified structure, utilizing similar device designs, epitaxial designs and fabrication processes. The conventional structure will be utilized for fabrication process development, verification of epi quality and development of rapid prototyping approach toward chip-based testing and subsequent high speed RF testing procedures. Conventional UTC-PD device results will be used as a comparison to quantify the performance of the M-UTC-PD structure utilizing Zn-doped defined p-type absorber regions. Results are given for chip tests of UTC-PD chips verifying epitaxial quality and fabrication process, subsequent testing of packaged devices and RF analysis remains. Process development of the Zn-doped devices is underway, once completed, these devices will be compared to the base design to quantify performance enhancement associated with the modified design.

Structural design of dual carrier multiplication avalanche photodiodes on InP substrate

Avalanche photodiodes are widely used in various fields, such as optical communication and laser radar, because of their high multiplication. In order to adapt to very weak signal detection applications, devices are required to have higher gain values. The existing avalanche photodiodes generally use single carrier multiplication mode of operation, its multiplication effect is limited. In this paper is designed an InP/In&lt;sub&gt;0.53&lt;/sub&gt;Ga&lt;sub&gt;0.47&lt;/sub&gt;As/In&lt;sub&gt;0.52&lt;/sub&gt;Al&lt;sub&gt;0.48&lt;/sub&gt;As avalanche photodiode structure with electrons and holes jointly involved in multiplication. In this structure, In&lt;sub&gt;0.53&lt;/sub&gt;Ga&lt;sub&gt;0.47&lt;/sub&gt;As material is used for the absorption layer, InP material is used for the hole multiplication layer, In&lt;sub&gt;0.52&lt;/sub&gt;Al&lt;sub&gt;0.48&lt;/sub&gt;As is used for the electron multiplication layer, and the two multiplication layers are distributed on the upper side and lower side of the absorber layer. Under the reverse bias, the photogenerated electrons and the absorber-layer generated holes can enter into the respective multiplier layers in different directions and create the avalanche multiplication effect, so that the carriers are fully utilized. This structure and the conventional single multiplication layer structure are simulated by Silvaco TCAD software. Comparing the single InP multiplication layer structure with the single In&lt;sub&gt;0.52&lt;/sub&gt;Al&lt;sub&gt;0.48&lt;/sub&gt;As multiplication layer structure, the gain value of the double multiplication layer structure at 95% breakdown voltage is about 2.3 times and about 2 times of the former two, respectively, and the device has a larger gain value because both carriers are involved in multiplication in both multiplication layers at the same time. The structure has a dark current of 1.5 nA at 95% breakdown voltage, which does not increase in comparison with the single multiplication layer structure, owing to the effective control of the electric field inside the structure by multiple charge layers. Therefore, this structure is expected to improve the detection sensitivity of the system.

InP/InGaAs Uni-Traveling-Carrier Photodiode (UTC-PD) With Improved EM Field Response

In this article, a unique structure of InP/InGaAs uni-traveling-carrier photodiode (UTC-PD) is proposed. Compared with the one-sided junction photodiode, the UTC-PD has the advantages of a simpler epitaxial layer structure while maintaining the characteristics of high bandwidth and high output power loss profile. Simulated results show that a large built-in electric field can be generated under illumination, which aids UTC carrier velocity. The merits of the new structure are compared to a standard UTC-PD photodiode in terms of improved electric field and carrier concentration response. It is demonstrated that the photogeneration and light absorption of UTC-PDs are improved by incorporating a step-like internal texture of cones and dots profile in the photo absorption layer. The simulated device shows a peak electrical 3-dB bandwidth of 65 GHz at a low light intensity and reverse bias voltage. The performance characteristics of 1-D and 2-D UTC-PD simulations, including internal electric field distribution, energy band diagram, carrier concentration, and power loss distribution, are carefully studied. A theoretical discussion of the working principle and key performance characteristics of a UTC-PD enhanced by heterojunction design is reported. The entire physical environment is modeled and simulated through the finite element method (FEM) using commercial software. The proposed photodiode structure configuration is designed and optimized for photodetectors for high RF frequencies at different light intensities. To the best of our knowledge, the obtained bandwidth and electric field response is the fastest among those reported for other various higher wavelength photodiodes.

A novel NiO-based p-i-n ultraviolet photodiode

In this study, the electrical and optical properties of a novel NiO-based homojunction p-i-n photodiode are reported. The p-i-n diode structure consists of Mg-doped, intrinsic and Cu-doped NiO from the top to the bottom layers, respectively. The photodiode structure was grown on a 0.7 % Nb-doped SrTiO3 (001) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. The homojunction p-type NiO:Mg/i-NiO/n-type NiO:Cu exhibits diode characteristics. The ideality factor and barrier height of the diode are found to be 1.26 and 0.66 eV, respectively. The photoconductive properties of the photodiode were investigated by operating the diode under reverse bias, and spectral excitation of a Xe lamp. The responsivity of the photodiode is determined to be 295 mA/W at 3.9 eV. A constant photoresponse of the p-i-n photodiode between 3.75 eV and 6 eV with a responsivity of 250 mA/W is observed.

Analytical Model of the Vertical Pinned Photodiode

This article presents a simple analytical model of the vertical pinned photodiode (PPD). In the existing pixels with relatively large sizes, the photodiode is formed byp+-n-p doping in a planar manner, and thus the vertical electric field determines the potential of the photodiode. However, as the pixel size becomes smaller, the size of the photodiode also decreases. Accordingly, the influence of the doping concentration in the periphery becomes larger and the pinning voltage is eventually predominantly determined by the horizontal electric field in the submicrometer region. In this case, the analytical model describing the conventional photodiode structure is no longer applicable. Therefore, in this article, a simple analytical model applicable to a small pixel size is provided and verified through TCAD simulation. It is thought that the proposed simple model helps understand the potential of small pixel size and provides a major starting point for design.

Perovskite Photo-Sensors with Solution-Processed TiO2 under Low Temperature Process and Ultra-Thin Polyethylenimine Ethoxylated as Electron Injection Layer

A perovskite photo-sensor is promising for a lightweight, thin, flexible, easy-to-coat fabrication process, and a higher incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency. We have investigated perovskite photo-sensors with a solution-processed compact TiO2 under a low-temperature process and an ultra-thin polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) as an electron injection layer. The TiO2 film is grown from an aqueous solution of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) at 70 °C by a chemical bath deposition method. For an alternative process, the ultra-thin PEIE is spin coated on the TiO2 film. Then, the perovskite layer is deposited on the substrate by the one- or two-step methods in the glovebox. Next, a hole transport layer of 2,2,7,7-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9, 9-spiro-bifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) solution is spin coated. The fabricated device structure is a photodiode structure of FTO/TiO2/(without or with) PEIE/(one- or two-step) perovskite layer/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. For the sensing characteristics, a ratio of photo-to-dark-current density was 2.88 × 104 for the device with PEIE layer. In addition, a power-law relationship is discussed.

Performance of the illumination dependent electrical and photodiode characteristic of the Al/(GO:PTCDA)/p-Si structures

In this our study, we fabricated an Al/p-Si metal semiconductor (MS) structure with perylenetetra carboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and graphene oxide (GO) interface. The morphology of the PTCDA and GO organic semiconductor powder structures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The main values such as ideality factors (n), rectification ratios (RR), saturation currents (I0) and barrier heights (Φbo) were extracted from I–V characteristics and discussed in details by thermionic emission (TE) theory in the various illumination conditions. The illumination dependent photodiode and photoresponsitity properties of Al/(GO:PTCDA)/p-type Si photo diode structures were investigated using current–voltage (I–V) characteristics in dark, room light and different light intensities, in the illumination range of 20–100 mW cm−2 by increments of 20 mW cm−2at room temperature (300 K).The photodiodes produced had good rectifying characteristics, however the value of rectifying ratios (RR) dropped as the light power intensity increased. According to the results, the photodiodes had a linear photocurrent (Iph), excellent detectivity and responsivity. Furthermore, the some basic electrical and photovoltaic values such as n, I0, Φbo, Voc, Isc, and Pmaxwere acquired as 5.82, 7.64×10−7A, 0.624 eV, 0.33 V, 2.24×10−5A and 3.41×10−6W under 100 mW/cm2light intensity, respectively. Therefore, the experimental research shown that Al/PTCDA:GO/p-Si photodiode structures can be improved for photodiode applications.