Patent ID: 8618625

Claim:
A silicon-based infrared photodetector integrated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with an optical waveguide, the SOI substrate including a planar SOT surface layer, the silicon-based infrared photodetector comprising: a metallic strip disposed over a portion of the planar SOI surface layer along the direction of propagation of an optical signal along the optical waveguide, the metallic strip forming a Schottky barrier with the optical waveguide; a first ohmic contact disposed on the planar SOI surface layer at a first contact area; a second ohmic contact disposed on the metallic strip at a second contact area; and a field plate electrode disposed over and separated from the metallic strip, wherein the application of a voltage to the field plate electrode modifies the electric field along the metallic strip to preferentially direct the momentum of hot carriers, influencing the number of hot conductors that cross over the Schottky barrier, which in turn modifies the photocurrent generated by the silicon-based infrared photodetector.