SBIR Phase I: Advanced Silicon-based Photodetectors Using Light Localization and Channeling

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将研究使用光学模式和表面等离子体激元（统称为电磁共振模式（ER））的组合的科学和技术优点的可行性和分析，以显着提高在硅和绝缘体上硅（SOI）衬底上制造的光电探测器的性能，用于各种应用。硅是在其上制造光电探测器的非常理想的材料，因为它便宜并且因为任何读出集成电路可以与光电探测器一起制造。过去开发高带宽/高响应度Si基光电探测器的努力受到Si的低光吸收常数的限制。这导致了具有与使用直接带隙材料制造的光电探测器相比小的增益带宽积的探测器。最近关于光学模式和表面等离子体模式的组合的理论工作（即，混合模式）已经清楚地证明了这些模式的组合在增强器件性能和功能性方面显示出很大的前景。拟议项目的目标是开发三种类型的混合模式增强硅基光电探测器，用于成熟和新兴技术领域的各种应用。这些器件包括混合模式增强型体硅金属-半导体金属光电探测器（MSM-PD）、SOI MSM-PD和硅APD。硅和绝缘体上硅光电探测器的成功开发将允许比现在可能的更大的光电集成，允许开发集成光子和电子组件的实际混合系统，从而降低成本，提高可靠性，减小尺寸和重量并增加功能。将开发的应用包括：用于850 nm无线通信系统和基于甚短距离（VSR）光纤的通信系统的ER增强混合Si和SOI光电探测器，以及用于单光子探测器和LADAR应用的具有更小定时抖动、更高灵敏度和更低偏置电压的ER增强APD探测器。除了所提出的设备令人印象深刻的市场潜力外，它们还将为控制设备内的光带来新的研究领域。该项目中采用的光通道和定位技术将对上述应用之外的其他研究和技术领域产生深远的影响，例如生物和化学传感器以及医疗应用设备。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will study the feasibility and analysis of the scientific and technical merit of using combinations of optical modes and surface plasmons (denoted collectively as electromagnetic resonance modes (ER)) to dramatically enhance the performance of photodetectors fabricated on silicon and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates for a variety of applications. Silicon is a very desirable material to fabricate photodetectors on because it is inexpensive and because any readout integrated circuitry can be fabricated alongside the photodetector. Past efforts to develop high bandwidth/high responsivity Si-based photodetectors have been limited by the low light absorption constant of Si. This has led to detectors that have a gain-bandwidth product that is small compared with photodetectors fabricated using direct bandgap materials. Recent theoretical work on combinations of optical modes and surface plasmon modes (i.e., hybrid modes) has clearly demonstrated that combinations of these modes show great promise in enhancing device performance and functionality. The objective of the proposed project is the development of three types of hybrid mode-enhanced Si-based photodetectors for a variety of applications in mature and emerging areas of technology. These devices include hybrid mode enhanced bulk Si metal-semiconductor metal photodetector (MSM-PD), SOI MSM-PD and a Si APD. Successful development of silicon and silicon-on-insulator photodetectors will allow for far greater optoelectronic integration than what is possible now, allowing for the development of practical hybrid systems that integrate photonic and electronic components and in turn reduce costs, increase reliability, reduce size and weight and increase functionality. Applications will be developed including: ER-enhanced hybrid Si and SOI based photodetectors for 850nm wireless communication systems and very short range (VSR) fiber-based communication systems, and ER-enhanced APD detectors with less timing jitter, increased sensitivity and lower bias voltages for single photon detectors and LADAR applications. Besides the impressive market potential of the proposed devices they will also bring about new research areas into controlling light within devices. The techniques of light channeling and localization employed in this project will have far reaching effects on other areas of research and technology besides the applications stated above, such as biological and chemical sensors and devices for medical applications.