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Hot-electron Phototransistors in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

J. M. Shannon  and
E. G. Gerstner
J. M. Shannon
Affiliation:
School of Electronic Engineering, IT and Mathematics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 5XH, United Kingdom
E. G. Gerstner
Affiliation:
School of Electronic Engineering, IT and Mathematics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 5XH, United Kingdom. Email:E.Gerstner@ee.surrey.ac.uk
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Abstract

It has been shown that useful current gains can be obtained in hot-electron device structures containing very thin chromium disilicide layers of nanometer dimensions in hydrogenated amorphous silicon [1]. The a-Si:H/a-CrSi2/a-Si:H device structure made using PECVD and sputtering techniques naturally forms a hot-electron transistor device where the electrons are emitted across a high potential barrier on one side of the silicide and are collected over a low barrier on the other. Recent results [2] have shown that current gains can be in excess of 40 in structures having a-CrSi2 bases ∼1 nm thick.

Here we outline the relatively simple technology used to make these devices and examine their performance as phototransistors in which the photo-current is amplified by hot-electron transistor action. The speed of response can be maximised by operating the phototransistor with high electric field across the collector since it is the transit time of the photo-induced carriers that determines the response time. We show that these devices provide a useful new active element for large area amorphous silicon electronics.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 609: Symposium A – Amorphous & Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films – 2000 , 2000 , A14.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

REFERENCES

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