Figures of Merit for Infrared Photodetectors from Hyperdoped Silicon
Abstract
Infrared (IR) photodetection is of significant value to the military and the public, with applications ranging from night vision to disease detection. Silicon in its pure form does not absorb infrared light with wavelength longer than 1.1 um. The last ten years have seen the development of hyperdoped silicon, in which non-equilibrium concentrations of defects are trapped in single-crystal silicon with no extended defects. For sulfur, selenium, and tellurium dopants this hyperdoped silicon has shown strong absorption of IR light in a layer approximately 100 nm thick. These hyperdoped materials are attractive candidates for development of silicon-based IR photodetectors. Phase 1 (Years 1-2) of this project will provide theoretical guidance and experimental characterization to aid in the development of the high quality materials required for hyperdoped IR photodetectors. It will develop new figures of merit to characterize hyperdoped materials, allowing determination of their potential without fabricating devices. These figures of merit will be tested using existing numerical methods, including SCAPS-1d. It will also develop a new numerical model for simulating hyperdoped and intermediate band materials, including charge transport in the intermediate band layer, which is not present in existing models. After figures of merit have been determined, experimental characterization of candidate hyperdoped materials will be performed, including such techniques as photoluminescence, electroluminescence, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy. Exact techniques to be used will be guided by the developed figures of merit. Phase 2 (Year 3) is an optional extension of this project. It will extend the new numerical model to include interfaces to other software and will use the model to perform a genetic-algorithm based optimization of device architecture, using Compute Canada high performance computing facilities. Experimental characterization and interpretation of candidate materials will continue. The results of this project will significantly advance the development of hyperdoped materials, giving clear guidance on which material properties are most important for device applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 10, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1620167
Entities
People
- Jacob J. Krich
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Ottawa