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Optimization of the a-SiC p-layer in a-Si:H-based n-i-p Photodiodes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Yuri Vygranenko ,
Andrei Sazonov ,
Gregory Heiler ,
Timothy Tredwell ,
Manuela Vieira  and
Arokia Nathan
Yuri Vygranenko
Affiliation:
yuri.vy@gmail.com, ISEL, R Consulheiro Emidio Navarro 1, ISEL-DEETC, Lisbon, P1949-014, Portugal
Andrei Sazonov
Affiliation:
asazonov@uwaterloo.ca, University of Waterloo, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Waterloo, Canada
Gregory Heiler
Affiliation:
gregory.heiler@carestreamhealth.com, Carestream Health Inc., Rochester, New York, United States
Timothy Tredwell
Affiliation:
timothy.tredwell@carestreamhealth.com, United States
Manuela Vieira
Affiliation:
mv@isel.ipl.pt, ISEL, DEETC, R. Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, Lisbon, 1954-114, Portugal, +351218317180, +351218317114
Arokia Nathan
Affiliation:
anathan@ucl.ac.uk, University College London, London Centre for Nanote, 17-19 Gordon St, London WC1H 0AH, London, WC1H 0AH, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Our work is aimed at enhancing the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of n-i-p photodiodes by reducing the absorption losses in the p-layer and the recombination losses in the p-i interface. We have applied boron-doped and undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon alloy (a-SiC:H) grown in hydrogen-diluted, silane-methane plasma to both the p-layer and undoped buffer layer, thus tailoring the p-i interface. The current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and spectral-response characteristics of fabricated photodiodes are correlated with the doping level, optical band gap, and deposition conditions for a-SiC:H layers. The optimized device exhibits a leakage current of about 110 pA/cm2 at the reverse bias of 5 V, and a peak value of 89% EQE at a wavelength of 530 nm. At shorter wavelengths, the EQE decreases down to 56% at a 400 nm wavelength. Calculations of transmission/reflection losses at the front of the photodiode show that observed short-wavelength sensitivity enhancement can be attributed to improved separation of electron-hole pairs in the p-layer depletion region.

Keywords

thin filmdevicesplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1245: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology-2010 , 2010 , 1245-A18-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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