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Au-Hyperdoped Si Nanolayer: Laser Processing Techniques and Corresponding Material Properties
Michael Kovalev1,2, Alena Nastulyavichus1, Ivan Podlesnykh1,3
1Lebedev Physical Institute, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
Gold hyperdoped silicon shows potential for near-infrared light absorption, but optimal efficiency remains elusive. Further research into laser-based hyperdoping techniques is needed to improve silicon photodetector performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Silicon-based photodetectors are crucial for near-infrared (NIR) light detection.
- Current NIR silicon photodetectors suffer from low efficiency.
- Gold (Au) hyperdoping presents a potential route to enhance silicon's NIR absorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate laser-based hyperdoping of silicon with gold.
- To comparatively analyze different laser hyperdoping regimes.
- To assess the potential of Au-hyperdoped Si for improved NIR photodetectors.
Main Methods:
- Thin amorphous silicon films were hyperdoped using nanosecond and picosecond lasers with gold.
- Compositional analysis was performed using energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).
- Chemical, structural, and IR spectroscopic characterization employed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated several promising regimes for laser-based silicon hyperdoping with gold.
- Characterized the compositional, chemical, structural, and optical properties of the hyperdoped silicon.
- Observed light absorption in the near-infrared region by Au-hyperdoped Si.
Conclusions:
- Laser-based hyperdoping offers pathways to enhance silicon's NIR optical properties.
- The optimal efficiency for impurity-hyperdoped silicon materials has not yet been reached.
- Further optimization of laser hyperdoping processes is required to realize efficient NIR silicon photodetectors.
