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Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
Published on: June 3, 2015
SOI metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor photon detector based on single-hole counting
Wei Du1, Hiroshi Inokawa, Hiroaki Satoh
1Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8011, Japan. duwei@rie.shizuoka.ac.jp
Optics Letters
|August 3, 2011
Summary
This study demonstrates a scaled-down silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) as a single-photon detector. It achieves photon-number resolution by counting trapped holes, showing potential for future optical sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Semiconductor device physics
- Photon detection technologies
- Quantum optics
Background:
- Traditional photon detectors often lack the ability to resolve individual photons.
- Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) offer potential for novel electronic applications.
- The precise control of charge carriers in MOSFETs is crucial for advanced device functionalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize a scaled-down SOI MOSFET as a photon detector capable of resolving photon numbers.
- To investigate the mechanism of photogenerated hole trapping and its effect on channel current.
- To evaluate the performance metrics of the SOI MOSFET photon detector for potential applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of a scaled-down SOI MOSFET.
- Measurement of output current waveforms under optical illumination.
- Analysis of current modulation due to trapped photogenerated holes.
- Assessment of dark count rate and operational voltage.
Main Results:
- The SOI MOSFET demonstrated stepwise modulation of electron current corresponding to individual trapped holes.
- Clear separation of current levels indicated successful single-hole counting.
- A low dark count rate (<0.02 s⁻¹) at room temperature was achieved.
- Low operation voltage of 1 V was sufficient for detection.
Conclusions:
- Scaled-down SOI MOSFETs can function as photon-number-resolving detectors by utilizing single-hole trapping.
- The device exhibits promising characteristics for low-noise, low-voltage photon counting.
- Improving quantum efficiency is key to realizing the full potential of this SOI MOSFET-based photon detector.
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