Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration
We propose a straightforward technique to increase the near-infrared photo-detection efficiency (PDE) in single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) manufactured in CMOS industrial foundries, without any change in the usual semiconductor process flow. The mask used for the photolithography of shallow...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8304563/ |
| _version_ | 1828926295878139904 |
|---|---|
| author | Laurent Frey Michel Marty Severine Andre Norbert Moussy |
| author_facet | Laurent Frey Michel Marty Severine Andre Norbert Moussy |
| author_sort | Laurent Frey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We propose a straightforward technique to increase the near-infrared photo-detection efficiency (PDE) in single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) manufactured in CMOS industrial foundries, without any change in the usual semiconductor process flow. The mask used for the photolithography of shallow trench isolation (STI) is modified to generate sub-wavelength patterns in the silicon area illuminated by incident light. The dimensions of the nanostructures are easily accessible by standard UV-lithography. The resulting improved anti-reflection effect and absorption in Si due to diffraction can provide up to 50% relative gain in PDE at 850-nm wavelength in simulation, while 25% gain is demonstrated in this paper, without degrading the median dark count rate (DCR) at ambient temperature. Some performance degradation is observed with the appearance of after-pulses, possibly due to the absence of surface passivation specific to the nanostructures in this first demonstration. The effect is angularly robust, relatively broadband, and relatively tolerant to fabrication errors. High PDE enables longer range or lower power consumption in applications for distance measurement with an active illumination, such as proximity sensing, 3-D ranging, or 3-D imaging. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:29:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7be2fed3f90c41da86f8e2edaa281fbe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2168-6734 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:29:53Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-7be2fed3f90c41da86f8e2edaa281fbe2022-12-21T23:27:27ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society2168-67342018-01-01639239510.1109/JEDS.2018.28105098304563Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface NanostructurationLaurent Frey0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6618-5883Michel Marty1Severine Andre2Norbert Moussy3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9366-724XCEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, FranceCEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, FranceCEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, FranceCEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, FranceWe propose a straightforward technique to increase the near-infrared photo-detection efficiency (PDE) in single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) manufactured in CMOS industrial foundries, without any change in the usual semiconductor process flow. The mask used for the photolithography of shallow trench isolation (STI) is modified to generate sub-wavelength patterns in the silicon area illuminated by incident light. The dimensions of the nanostructures are easily accessible by standard UV-lithography. The resulting improved anti-reflection effect and absorption in Si due to diffraction can provide up to 50% relative gain in PDE at 850-nm wavelength in simulation, while 25% gain is demonstrated in this paper, without degrading the median dark count rate (DCR) at ambient temperature. Some performance degradation is observed with the appearance of after-pulses, possibly due to the absence of surface passivation specific to the nanostructures in this first demonstration. The effect is angularly robust, relatively broadband, and relatively tolerant to fabrication errors. High PDE enables longer range or lower power consumption in applications for distance measurement with an active illumination, such as proximity sensing, 3-D ranging, or 3-D imaging.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8304563/Avalanche photodiodesCMOS image sensorsCMOS processnanophotonicsgratingssurface structures |
| spellingShingle | Laurent Frey Michel Marty Severine Andre Norbert Moussy Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society Avalanche photodiodes CMOS image sensors CMOS process nanophotonics gratings surface structures |
| title | Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration |
| title_full | Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration |
| title_short | Enhancing Near-Infrared Photodetection Efficiency in SPAD With Silicon Surface Nanostructuration |
| title_sort | enhancing near infrared photodetection efficiency in spad with silicon surface nanostructuration |
| topic | Avalanche photodiodes CMOS image sensors CMOS process nanophotonics gratings surface structures |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8304563/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurentfrey enhancingnearinfraredphotodetectionefficiencyinspadwithsiliconsurfacenanostructuration AT michelmarty enhancingnearinfraredphotodetectionefficiencyinspadwithsiliconsurfacenanostructuration AT severineandre enhancingnearinfraredphotodetectionefficiencyinspadwithsiliconsurfacenanostructuration AT norbertmoussy enhancingnearinfraredphotodetectionefficiencyinspadwithsiliconsurfacenanostructuration |