METAL/SEMICONDUCTOR/METAL (MSM) STRUCTURE PLANAR 2-TERMINAL OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve generation of photocurrent by enlarging the region of a depletion layer. SOLUTION: In a metal/semiconductor/metal structure planar 2-terminal optical semiconductor element, two flat plate-like first metal electrode 3(+) and a second metal electrode(-) 4 are provided with a predetermined interval on the surface of an n-type (or p-type) semiconductor layer 2. Boundaries between the electrodes and the semiconductor layer constitute Schottky barriers 3A, 4A. A depletion layer region 5 is formed in the semiconductor layer under the electrode 4, and a non-depletion layer 6 is formed in the semiconductor layer under a photodetecting surface of a surface of the exposed semiconductor layer 2. The photodetecting surface is irradiated with the predetermined of light, a width W of the depletion layer under the electrode 4 is increased or decreased in the direction of the electrode 3 by increasing or decreasing an applied voltage V between both the electrodes, and the photocurrent ILgenerated between both electrodes is increased or decreased. A relation of IL≈(V)1/2is provided. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO