Epitaxial CrSi2/Si Heterostructures and Infrared Detectors

本课题是研究窄带隙半导体硅化物CrSi2。工作的目标是表征电金属/CrSi2触点和CrSi2/Si异质结，展示和测量CrSi2薄膜的红外光导响应。并确定CrSi2薄膜在Si上作为红外探测技术的潜力。提出的研究是基于实验的研究CrSi2生长作为外延薄膜在硅晶片衬底。生长将用一种通用的“硅MBE”型生长系统进行。将制作用于表征红外光响应的器件结构。这些测量将包括薄膜光导率的光谱依赖性，以及在CrSi2薄膜内制作的肖特基势垒红外探测器的光响应。重点将放在控制薄膜的微观结构，并了解其对所观察到的光电性质的影响。我们打算在单晶衬底上展示外延半导体硅化物的生长和性能。我们将描述两种新的本征半导体红外探测器，它们可以单片集成在硅微电子芯片上。

This proposal is to investigate the narrow bandgap semiconducting silicide CrSi2. The goals of the work are to characterize electrically metal/CrSi2 contacts and CrSi2/Si heterojunctions, to demonstrate and measure the infrared photoconductive response of CrSi2 thin films, and to determine the potential of CrSi2 films on Si as an infrared detector technology. The proposed research is an experimentally-based investigation of CrSi2 grown as epitaxial thin films on silicon wafer substrates. Growths will be performed with a versatile "Silicon MBE"-type growth system. Device structures will be fabricated for characterization of the infrared photoresponse. These measurements will include the spectral dependence of photoconductivity of the films, and the photoresponse of a Schottky barrier infrared detector made within the CrSi2 film. Strong emphasis will be placed on controlling the films microstructure, and understanding its influence on the observed photoelectronic properties. We intend to demonstrate the growth and properties of an epitaxial semiconducting silicide on a single-crystal substrate. We will characterize two new intrinsic semiconducting infrared detectors which may be monolithically integrated on a silicon microelectronic chip.