| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photodetection element which is robust and can be reduced in size and a photodetection method which uses the photodetection element. <P>SOLUTION: The photodetection element includes a light absorption layer, a quantum structure adjacent to the light absorption layer, a first electrode connected to the light absorption layer, and a second electrode connected to the quantum structure. The quantum structure has a quantum well layer and barrier layers sandwiching the quantum well layer. The photodetection element is characterized in that a conduction band edge of the barrier layers has higher energy than the conduction band edge of the light absorption layer, that a difference in energy between the conduction band edge of the barrier layers and that of the light absorption layer is greater than 0.58 eV, that a quantum level formed on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer has higher energy than the conduction band edge of the light absorption layer, and that a difference in energy between the quantum level and the conduction band edge of the light absorption layer is larger than thermal energy which electrons receive. A photodetection method includes the steps of: obtaining current-voltage characteristic generated by incident light upon the photodetection element, by using the photodetection element; and identifying the wavelength and intensity of the incident light by using the obtained current-voltage characteristic. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT |
