Nano- and micro-structured silicon for hybrid near-infrared photodetectors

V. Đerek; E. D. Głowacki; M. Bednorz; S. Demchyshyn; N. S. Sariciftci; M. Ivanda

doi:10.1117/12.2234980

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13 May 2016 Nano- and micro-structured silicon for hybrid near-infrared photodetectors

V. Đerek, E. D. Głowacki, M. Bednorz, S. Demchyshyn, N. S. Sariciftci, M. Ivanda

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Proceedings Volume 9891, Silicon Photonics and Photonic Integrated Circuits V; 989107 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2234980
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2016, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Structuring surface and bulk of crystalline silicon on different length scales can significantly alter its properties and possibly improve the performance of opto-electronic devices and sensors based on silicon. Different dominant feature scales are responsible for modification of some of electronic and optical properties of silicon. Several easily reproducible chemical methods for facile structuring of silicon on nano and micro-scales, based on both electroless and anodic etching of silicon in hydrofluoric acid based etchants, and chemical anisotropic etching of silicon in basic environments, are presented. We show how successive micro and nano structuring creates hierarchical silicon surfaces, which can be used to simultaneously exploit the advantages of both structuring feature length scales. Finally, we demonstrate a large increase in photocurrent obtained from a hybrid structured silicon/organic near-infrared photodetector. Improved silicon/6,6’-dibromoindigo hybrid photodiodes were prepared by nano- and micro-structuring the silicon part of the heterojunction by wet chemical etching methods. Photocurrent and spectral responsivity were improved in comparison to planar diodes by up to two orders of magnitude by optimization of the silicon structuring process. We show that the improvement in photocurrent is not due to the increase in surface area or light trapping.

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V. Đerek, E. D. Głowacki, M. Bednorz, S. Demchyshyn, N. S. Sariciftci, and M. Ivanda "Nano- and micro-structured silicon for hybrid near-infrared photodetectors", Proc. SPIE 9891, Silicon Photonics and Photonic Integrated Circuits V, 989107 (13 May 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2234980

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