SiC avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers for ultraviolet and solar-blind light detection

✍ Scribed by Vert, Alexey ;Soloviev, Stanislav ;Sandvik, Peter

• Book ID: 105365464
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 823 KB
• Volume: 206
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0031-8965
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200925118

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) is known for its large bandgap and suitability to make direct conversion ultraviolet photo‐detectors. These devices show appreciable quantum efficiencies in the 240–350 nm wavelength range in combination with low dark currents. This paper presents recent study results of 4H‐SiC avalanche photodiodes and solid‐state photomultiplier arrays. The material quality is an issue that has to be addressed. It has been found that a large number of defects in the device structure could substantially affect the single‐photon avalanche diodes yield, while regular photodiodes yield is more immune to the presence of defects. Some single‐photon avalanche photodiodes have demonstrated low dark count rates in the range of several kHz and single photon detection efficiency of more than 10% at 266 nm in the solar‐blind wavelengths range. A novel SiC‐based 12‐pixel photomultiplier array was demonstrated for the first time. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)