以碳化硅(SiC)和Ⅲ族氮化物为代表的宽禁带半导体是近年来国内外重点研究和发展的新型第三代半导体材料,具有禁带宽度大、导热性能好、电子饱和漂移速度高以及化学稳定性优等特点,用于工作于紫外波段的光探测器件具有显著的材料性能优势。宽禁带半导体紫外探测器的主要应用包括:国防预警、环境监测、化工和生化反应的光谱分析和过程检测、以及天文研究等。本文主要回顾近年来南京大学在此方面开展的一些代表工作,所涉及到的典型器件有:具有极低暗电流的 AlGaN基日盲 MSM紫外探测器、高量子效率 AlGaN基日盲雪崩光电探测器、以及 SiC基可见光盲紫外单光子探测器。
Wide-bandgap semiconductors,such as group-Ⅲ nitrides and SiC have recently attracted much attention in ultraviolet(UV)photodetector applications due to their large bandgap energy,high electron saturation velocity, superior radiation hardness,and high temperature resistance.Such photodetectors have a variety of potential applications including missile flame detection,environmental monitoring,chemical/biological agent detection,and solar physics.In this paper,some of our recent works on design and fabrication of UV photodetectors based on Ⅲ-nitride and SiC semiconductors are reviewed.These related devices include:AlGaN-based MSM solar-blind photodetectors with ultra-low dark current,AlGaN-based solar-blind avalanche photodiodes with high quantum efficiency,and SiC-based visible-bind avalanche photodiodes with single photon counting capability.