TY - JOUR

T1 - Light-Trapping-Enhanced Photodetection in Ge/Si Quantum Dot Photodiodes Containing Microhole Arrays with Different Hole Depths

AU - Yakimov, Andrew I.

AU - Kirienko, Victor V.

AU - Utkin, Dmitrii E.

AU - Dvurechenskii, Anatoly V.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (grant 19-12-00070-Π. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/9

Y1 - 2022/9

N2 - Photodetection based on assemblies of quantum dots (QDs) is able to tie the advantages of both the conventional photodetector and unique electronic properties of zero-dimensional structures in an unprecedented way. However, the biggest drawback of QDs is the small absorbance of infrared radiation due to the low density of the states coupled to the dots. In this paper, we report on the Ge/Si QD pin photodiodes integrated with photon-trapping hole array structures of various thicknesses. The aim of this study was to search for the hole array thickness that provided the maximum optical response of the light-trapping Ge/Si QD detectors. With this purpose, the embedded hole arrays were etched to different depths ranging from 100 to 550 nm. By micropatterning Ge/Si QD photodiodes, we were able to redirect normal incident light laterally along the plane of the dots, therefore facilitating the optical conversion of the near-infrared photodetectors due to elongation of the effective absorption length. Compared with the conventional flat photodetector, the responsivity of all microstructured devices had a polarization-independent improvement in the 1.0–1.8-μm wavelength range. The maximum photocurrent enhancement factor (≈50× at 1.7 μm) was achieved when the thickness of the photon-trapping structure reached the depth of the buried QD layers.

AB - Photodetection based on assemblies of quantum dots (QDs) is able to tie the advantages of both the conventional photodetector and unique electronic properties of zero-dimensional structures in an unprecedented way. However, the biggest drawback of QDs is the small absorbance of infrared radiation due to the low density of the states coupled to the dots. In this paper, we report on the Ge/Si QD pin photodiodes integrated with photon-trapping hole array structures of various thicknesses. The aim of this study was to search for the hole array thickness that provided the maximum optical response of the light-trapping Ge/Si QD detectors. With this purpose, the embedded hole arrays were etched to different depths ranging from 100 to 550 nm. By micropatterning Ge/Si QD photodiodes, we were able to redirect normal incident light laterally along the plane of the dots, therefore facilitating the optical conversion of the near-infrared photodetectors due to elongation of the effective absorption length. Compared with the conventional flat photodetector, the responsivity of all microstructured devices had a polarization-independent improvement in the 1.0–1.8-μm wavelength range. The maximum photocurrent enhancement factor (≈50× at 1.7 μm) was achieved when the thickness of the photon-trapping structure reached the depth of the buried QD layers.

KW - near-infrared photodetection

KW - photon-trapping microstructures

KW - quantum dots

KW - telecom

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137844017&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/ad7efd38-9241-3269-b226-8a3b63096e7f/

U2 - 10.3390/nano12172993

DO - 10.3390/nano12172993

M3 - Article

C2 - 36080030

AN - SCOPUS:85137844017

VL - 12

JO - Nanomaterials

JF - Nanomaterials

SN - 2079-4991

IS - 17

M1 - 2993

ER -