Micrometer-sized photodetectors for selective-area transferring and integration on a heterogeneous substrate

下一代显示技术的关键特征可以包括高光学效率、高空间分辨率、高可靠性、节能以及环境光学感测能力。其中，实时光学传感不仅为设备增加了新的功能，而且使显示器能够主动响应周围环境的任何变化并做出相应的反应，从而实现一个全新的概念-智能显示。然而，没有一种商业上可用的显示技术具有集成的原位光学感测能力。原因很简单，器件顶部表面区域完全被二维密集发光RGB（红/绿色/蓝）阵列占据，没有为任何其他组件留下空间。VueReal Technologies Inc.一直与PI合作开发基于微米尺寸发光二极管（µ-LED）的显示器。此次合作展示了创纪录的基于µ-LED的显示器，并使该公司吸引了超过1800万美元的投资资金。通过大幅缩小基于µ-LED的显示器中每个发光像素的尺寸，释放了设备表面积，从而为集成不同的光学元件提供了新的自由度。基于过去三年的研发进展，PI和VueReal将继续致力于开发微米级光电探测器（micro-PD）技术。本计画的研究目标为：1）发展一种制作微光闸的制作策略与最佳配方; 2）对所制作的微光闸进行特性分析; 3）最佳化所制作的微光闸的效能，特别是抑制漏电流与提高讯号杂讯比; 4）开发一种分离和转移策略，可以将micro-PD与µ-LED集成在同一衬底上。该项目将为高素质人员（HQP）提供一个极好的机会，以获得设备制造，表征，光学检测和显示技术的实践经验。该项目还将为行业合作伙伴提供滑铁卢大学急需的专业知识和设施。

The key features of next-generation display technologies may include high optical efficiency, high spatial resolution, high reliability, energy saving as well as the capability of environment optical sensing. Among them, the real-time optical sensing would not only add new functionalities to the devices, but also enable the displays to actively respond to any changes in surroundings and react accordingly, leading to the realization of a completely new concept - smart display. Nevertheless, none of the commercially-available display technologies has integrated in-situ optical sensing capabilities. The reason is simple, the device top surface area is fully occupied by the two-dimensional heavily-packed light-emitting RGB (red/green/blue) array, leaving no room for any other components. VueReal Technologies Inc. has been collaborating with the PI on the development of micrometer-sized light emitting diode (µ-LED)-based displays. The collaboration yields the demonstration of record-breaking µ-LED-based displays and enables the company to attract more than 18 million dollars investment fund. By significantly shrinking the size of each light-emitting pixel in such µ-LED-based displays, device surface area is freed up, yielding a new degree of freedom to integrate different optical components. Based on the R&D progress in the past three years, the PI and VueReal will continue to work on the development of micrometer-sized photodetector (micro-PD) technologies. The research objectives of this project are 1) To develop a fabrication strategy and an optimized recipe for fabricating microPDs, 2) To characterize the fabricated micro-PD devices, 3) To optimize the performance of the fabricated devices, in particular, to suppress the leakage current and to enhance signal-to-noise ratio and, 4) To develop a detaching and transferring strategy that can integrate micro-PDs with µ-LEDs on a same substrate. This project will provide an excellent opportunity for highly qualified personal (HQP) to gain hands-on experience with device fabrication, characterization, optical detection and display technologies. This project will also provide the much urgently-needed expertise and facilities at the University of Waterloo to the industry partner.