Amorphous Si/SiC phototransistors and avalanche photodiodes

The device structures, operation principles, optoelectronic characteristics, performance comparisons, and possible applications for various a-Si:H/a-SiC:H phototransistors and avalanche photodiodes are reviewed. Although these devices are made of amorphous semiconductors, its majority-carrier transport properties can tactfully avoid gap-state and defect related minority-carrier transport problems, and obtain good performances. Also, each of these devices has the distinct advantage of meeting the requirements of different practical applications. The unique and distinct advantages of these a-Si:H/a-SiC:H devices are first, a variety of peak response wavelengths are achievable by changing the composition or the well-to-barrier widths of the superlattice, secondly, a large-area-detector image sensor can be made on a glass substrate; and thirdly, the low-temperature of the amorphous films (~250°C) possesses a very abrupt composition change and a doping profile, which are impossible in the single-crystalline semiconductors.