Enhanced deep ultraviolet photodetector and method thereof

US9893227B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Anand Sampath · Corona, US
• Michael Wraback · Germantown, US
• Paul H. Shen · North Potomac, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 13, 2016
• Grant date: Feb 13, 2018
• Expiry date: Jun 13, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/544

Abstract

A photodiode for detecting photons comprising a substrate; first semiconducting region suitable for forming a contact thereon; a first contact; a second semiconducting region comprising an absorption region for the photons and being formed of a semiconductor having one or more of a high surface recombination velocity or a high interface recombination velocity; a second contact operatively associated with the second region; the first semiconducting region and the second semiconducting region forming a first interface; the second semiconducting region being configured such that reverse biasing the photodiode between the first and second contacts results in the absorption region having a portion depleted of electrical carriers and an undepleted portion at the reverse bias point of operation; the undepleted portion being smaller than the absorption depth for photons; whereby the depletion results in the creation of an electric field and photogenerated carriers are collected by drift; and a method of making.