Ultrahigh Photogain Short-Wave Infrared Detectors Enabled by Integrating Graphene and Hyperdoped Silicon.

Abstract

Highly sensitive short-wave infrared (SWIR) detectors, compatible with the silicon-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, are regarded as the key enabling components in the miniaturized system for weak signal detection. To date, the high photogain devices are greatly limited by a large bias voltage, low-temperature refrigeration, narrow response band, and complex fabrication processes. Here, we demonstrate high photogain detectors working in the SWIR region at room temperature, which use graphene for charge transport and Te-hyperdoped silicon (Te-Si) for infrared absorption. The prolonged lifetime of carriers, combined with the built-in potential generated at the interface between the graphene and the Te-Si, leads to an ultrahigh photogain of 10⁹ at room temperature (300 K) for 1.55 μm light. The gain can be improved to 10¹², accompanied by a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 0.08 pW Hz^-1/2 at 80 K. Moreover, the proposed device exhibits a NEP of 4.36 pW Hz^-1/2 at 300 K at the wavelength of 2.7 μm, which is exceeding the working region of InGaAs detectors. This research shows that graphene can be used as an efficient platform for silicon-based SWIR detection and provides a strategy for the low-power, uncooled, high-gain infrared detectors compatible with the CMOS process.