NANOWIRE PHOTODETECTOR AND IMAGE SENSOR WITH INTERNAL GAIN

摘要

A practical ID nanowire photodetector with high gain that can be controlled by a radial electric field established in the ID nanowire. A ID nanowire photodetector device of the invention includes a nanowire that is individually contacted by electrodes for applying a longitudinal electric field which drives the photocurrent. An intrinsic radial electric field to the nanowire inhibits photo-carrier recombination, thus enhancing the photocurrent response. The invention further provides circuits of ID nanowire photodetctors, with groups of photodetctors addressed by their individual ID nanowires electrode contacts. The invention also provides a method for placement of ID nanostructures, including nanowires, with registration onto a substrate. A substrate is patterned with a material, e.g., photoresist, and trenches are formed in the patterning material at predetermined locations for the placement of ID nanostructures. The ID nanostructures are aligned in a liquid suspension, and then transferred into the trenches from the liquid suspension. Removal of the patterning material places the ID nanostructures in predetermined, registered positions on the substrate.