Simulation analysis of combined UV/blue photodetector in CMOS process by technology computer-aided design

doi:10.1007/s12200-013-0375-1

Front Optoelec

2014, Vol. 7

Issue (1) : 69-73 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-013-0375-1

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Simulation analysis of combined UV/blue photodetector in CMOS process by technology computer-aided design

Changping CHEN¹, Xiangliang JIN¹(

), Lizhen TANG¹, Hongjiao YANG¹, Jun LUO²(

)

1. Faculty of Materials, Optoelectronics and Physics, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China; 2. Department of Precision Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China

Download: PDF(342 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

A composite ultraviolet (UV)/blue photodetector structure has been proposed, which is composed of P-type silicon substrate, P_well, N_well and N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (NMOSFET) realized in the P_well. In this photodetector, lateral ring-shaped P_well-N_well junction was used to separate the photogenerated carriers, and non-equilibrium excess hole was injected to the P_well bulk for changing the bulk potential and shifting the NMOSFET’s threshold voltage as well as the output drain current. By technology computer-aided design (TCAD) device, simulation and analysis of this proposed photodetector were carried out. Simulation results show that the combined photodetector has enhanced responsivity to UV/blue spectrum. Moreover, it exhibits very high sensitivity to weak and especially ultral-weak optical light. A sensitivity of 7000 A/W was obtained when an incident optical power of 0.01 μW was illuminated to the photodetector, which is 35000 times higher than the responsivity of a conventional silicon-based UV photodiode (usually is about 0.2 A/W). As a result, this proposed combined photodetector has great potential values for UV applications.

Keywords ultraviolet (UV)/blue photodetector weak light detection complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology computer-aided design (TCAD)

Corresponding Author(s): JIN Xiangliang,Email:jinxl@xtu.edu.cn; LUO Jun,Email:luojun@shu.edu.cn

Issue Date: 05 March 2014

Cite this article:

Changping CHEN,Xiangliang JIN,Lizhen TANG, et al. Simulation analysis of combined UV/blue photodetector in CMOS process by technology computer-aided design[J]. Front Optoelec, 2014, 7(1): 69-73.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/foe/EN/10.1007/s12200-013-0375-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/foe/EN/Y2014/V7/I1/69

Fig.1 Combined photodetector with (a) NMOSFET and (b) PMOSFET

Fig.2 Simulated structure of proposed combined photodetector for TCAD device simulation

Fig.3 Simulated variation of bulk (P) potential under different illuminations

Fig.4 Simulated threshold voltage variations with different light intensity illuminations

Fig.5 Drain currents of NMOSFET with and without illuminations under different gate voltages

Fig.6 Output characteristics of NMOSFET with different channel lengths

Fig.7 Increment of drain currents after illumination for three kinds of NMOSFET structures with different channel lengths

Fig.8 Drain currents vs wavelength with different incident light illuminations

Fig.9 DC responsivity of proposed combined photodetector with different gate voltages

1	Charbon E. Towards large scale CMOS single-photon detector arrays for lab-on-chip applications. Journal of Physics D, Applied Physics , 2008, 41(9): 094010
2	Chang Y W, Yu P C, Huang Y T, YANG Y S. A CMOS-compatible optical biosensing system based on visible absorption spectroscopy. In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits . Tainan: IEEE, 2007, 1099–1102
3	Pauchard A, Besse P A, Popovic R S. A silicon blue/UV selective stripe-shaped photodiode. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical , 1999, 76(1–3): 172–177
4	Ghazi A, Zimmermann H, Seegebrecht P. CMOS photodiode with enhanced responsivity for the UV/blue spectral range. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices , 2002, 49(7): 1124–1128
5	Pauchard A, Rochas A, Randjelovic Z, Besse P A, Popovic R S. Ultraviolet avalanche photodiode in CMOS technology. In: Proceedings of Electron Devices Meeting, IEDM’00 . San Francisco, CA: IEEE, 2000, 709–712
6	Marwick M A, Andreou A G. A UV photodetector with internal gain fabricated in silicon on sapphire CMOS. In: Proceedings of Sensors 2007 IEEE . Atlanta, GA: IEEE, 2007, 535–538
7	Li G K, Feng P, Wu N J. A novel monolithic ultraviolet image sensor based on a standard CMOS process. Journal of Semiconductors , 2011, 32(10): 105008-1–105008-6
8	Weng W Y, Hsueh T J, Chang S S, Wang S B, Hsueh H T, Huang G J. A high-responsivity GaN nanowire UV photodetector. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics , 2011, 17(4): 996–1001 doi: 10.1109/JSTQE.2010.2060715
9	Esmaeili-Rad M R, Papadopoulos N P, Bauza M, Nathan A, Wong W S. Blue-light-sensitive phototransistor for indirect X-ray image sensors. Electron Device Letters , 2012, 33(4): 567–569 doi: 10.1109/LED.2012.2185676
10	Serra N, Giacomini G, Melchiorri M, Piazza A, Piemonte C, Tarolli A, Zorzi N. TCAD simulation of avalanche breakdown voltage in GM-APDs. In: Proceedings of Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC) . Knoxville, TN: IEEE, 2010, 253–259
11	Serra N, Giacomini G, Piazza A, Piemonte C, Tarolli A, Zorzi N. Experimental and TCAD study of breakdown voltage temperature behavior in n+/p SiPMs. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science , 2011, 58(3): 1233–1240 doi: 10.1109/TNS.2011.2123919
12	Xie F, Lu H, Chen D J, Xiu X Q, Zhao H, Zhang R, Zheng Y D. Metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet avalanche photodiodes fabricated on bulk GaN substrate. Electron Device Letters , 2011, 32(9): 1260–1262 doi: 10.1109/LED.2011.2160149
13	Jacob B, Klemenc M, Petit C, Witzig A, Fichtner W. TCAD simulation of photodetector spectral response. In: Proceedings of IEEE/LEOS 3rd International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices . Tokyo: IEEE, 2003, 19–20
14	Schanz M, Brockherde W, Hauschild R, Hosticka B J, Teuner A. CMOS photosensor arrays with on-chip signal processing. In: Proceedings of European Solid State Circuits Conference . Southampton UK: IEEE, 1997, 236–239

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed