MICROSTRUCTURE ENHANCED ABSORPTION PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICES

摘要

Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as pillars and/or holes, effectively increase the effective absorption length resulting in a greater absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more.

主权项

1. A photodetector with microstructure-enhanced photoabsorption comprising:
a cathode region; an anode region; reverse biasing circuitry configured to apply a voltage between said cathode and anode regions such that said cathode region is driven to a more positive voltage than said anode region; and a microstructure-enhanced photon absorbing semiconductor region operatively associated with the cathode and anode regions and configured to absorb photons from a source signal, said absorbing region including a plurality of microstructures configured to increase absorption of photons at a range of wavelengths that includes a wavelength of said source signal relative to an absorbing region that is not intentionally microstructure-enhanced.