Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/789,026, filed May 27, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/181,494, filed May 27, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     GOVERNMENT RIGHTS 
     This invention was made with government funds under Contract No. HR0011-07-3-0002 awarded by DARPA. The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to nano-sized transducers for converting light radiation into a photocurrent and/or photovoltage. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An important goal of the electronics industry is an integration of optoelectronic devices with silicon (Si) substrates through the use of traditional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication techniques. It is particularly desirable to develop a means for monolithic heterogeneous integration of direct-bandgap III-V compound materials onto Si CMOS substrates. For example, many important and long-sought-after applications such as optical interconnections for integrated circuits, highly sensitive photodetectors, and highly efficient solar photovoltaic cells could be realized through such means. 
     Traditional thin-film growth of direct-bandgap III-V compound materials is not suitable for integration due to a high growth temperature above 600° C. and a high dislocation density when growing on Si. In an effort to make progress towards the goal of integrating optoelectronic devices with Si substrates there has been intense research directed at group III-V nanostructures grown on Si substrates using a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mode. However, while progress has been made in producing defect-free nanostructures on Si substrates at relatively low temperatures in the range of 430° C.-470° C., the use of metal catalysts such as gold (Au) raises concerns about fabricating such nanostructures using CMOS fabrication techniques. Additionally, small and fragile nanostructure footprints such as those of thin nanowires have made it difficult to fabricate group III-V nanostructures through the use of optical lithography and batch fabrication processes. Thus, there remains a need for optoelectronic devices that can be integrated on Si substrates through the use of traditional CMOS fabrication techniques or techniques that are compatible with Si substrates that contain nearly finished CMOS devices and circuits. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a new growth mode that produces group III-V nanostructures by means of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In particular, this disclosure provides a catalyst-free growth mode of defect-free Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)-based nanostructures on silicon (Si) substrates with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible growth temperature of around 400° C. The nanostructures are crystalline, having a pure wurtzite phase crystal structure that is free of zincblende phases. The absence of zincblende phases is atypical for GaAs crystalline structures. However, it is important to note that an entire nanostructure need not have a pure crystalline structure to be usable in accordance with the present disclosure. Instead, it is preferred that a p-n junction formed with a portion of a nanostructure be a single phase crystalline structure for better device performances. 
     An embodiment of the present disclosure is a photodetector that is fabricated using a nanostructure in the form of a nanoneedle as a base structure. Each nanoneedle preferably has a sharp 2 to 5 nanometer (nm) tip, a 600 nm wide base and a 4 micrometer (μm) length. Thus, the preferred nanoneedles are substantially hexagonal needle-like crystal structures that assume a 6° to 9°tapered shape. The 600 nm wide base allows the typical micro-fabrication processes, such as optical lithography, to be applied. However, it is important to note that nanoneedles that are suitable for applications such as photodetectors may be grown to have a wide range of taper angles. An exemplary taper angle range for the disclosed nanoneedles is from 1° to 30°. 
     Moreover, other nanostructure embodiments such as nanopillars, which are frustums of nanoneedles are also suitable as base structures for photodetectors. Therefore, nanoneedles and nanopillars are ideal platforms for the integration of optoelectronic devices on Si substrates. For example, the present disclosure provides a nanostructure-based photodetector that is highly efficient at converting light radiation into a photocurrent and/or a photovoltage. Other exemplary applications include, but are not limited to:
         1. Photodetectors for optical interconnect applications for Si circuits.   2. Photodetectors for battery-powered applications due to the photodetectors&#39; low bias voltages.   3. Solar cells on Si or other substrates, including flexible substrates.   4. Light emitters on Si or other substrates, including flexible substrates.   5. Opto-fluidic applications, since nanoneedles can be fabricated to have hollow shells.       

     Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a line drawing of a 30° tilt scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) nanoneedles grown on a silicon (Si) substrate. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the steps for growing nanoneedles according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section diagram of a p-shell/n-core GaAs nanoneedle on an n-type Si substrate. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section diagram of a structure for a p-n GaAs nanoneedle-based photodetector device. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating the steps for fabricating a nanoneedle-based photodetector device according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  depicts current and voltage (I-V) characteristics of a pure p-type nanoneedle sample grown on a p-type Si substrate. 
         FIG. 7  depicts device characteristics pertaining to external quantum efficiency (QE) and estimated current multiplication factor lower bound (M LB ) as a function of bias voltage for a nanoneedle-based photodetector fabricated on a Si substrate. The inset is the corresponding current versus bias voltage plot for such a device. 
         FIG. 8  depicts device characteristics pertaining to photocurrent as a function of the irradiance for several different illumination wavelengths. 
         FIG. 9  depicts a plurality of nanoneedle devices configured to work together as a highly efficient solar cell. 
         FIG. 10  depicts an ultra-sharp nanoneedle having a 1° tapered shape. 
         FIG. 11  depicts a broad nanoneedle having a 30° tapered shape. 
         FIG. 12  depicts a nanopillar in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 13  depicts a hollow nanopillar in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and illustrate the best mode of practicing the disclosure. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims. 
     In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)-based nanoneedle photodetector is monolithically grown and processed on a silicon (Si) substrate using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible catalyst-free and low-temperature (400° C.) crystal growth technique. Due to the catalyst-free nature of the crystal growth technique, there is no metal contamination of either the Si substrate or the nanoneedle-basedphotodetector. 
       FIG. 1  is a line drawing of a typical scanning electron microscope (SEM) picture of GaAs nanoneedles  10  grown on a Si substrate  12  by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in accordance with the present disclosure. The nanoneedles  10  are initiated by spontaneous catalyst-free clustering and subsequently formed by an anisotropic sidewall plane deposition process. At a low growth temperature of around 400° C., a deposition rate is highly dependent on crystal orientation. As a result, each of the nanoneedles  10  is formed as a substantially hexagonal pyramid. In particular, the nanoneedles  10  exhibit a single wurtzite crystalline phase. One factor in the growth of the nanoneedles  10  is a crystal lattice mismatch between the nanoneedles  10  and the substrate  12 . In this particular case, the substrate  12  has a crystalline structure in which Si atoms are spaced 4% closer together than group III-V atoms making up the nanoneedles  10 . Other substrate materials and nanoneedle materials may have lattice mismatches that are different than that between GaAS atoms and Si atoms of 4% illustrated in this example. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart that depicts a process for growing the nanoneedles  10 . The nanoneedles  10  are grown using an MOCVD reactor. A wafer onto which the nanoneedles  10  are to be grown is cleaned and deoxidized before growth (step  100 ). For GaAs, Si, or sapphire substrates, the wafer is first cleaned of organic contaminates by degreasing the wafer for 3 minutes in acetone, methanol, and then deionized water. If the wafer is made of GaAs, the wafer is deoxidized using a 50% hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution for 3 minutes, or until the surface becomes hydrophobic. A wafer made of Si is deoxidized in a 5:1 ratio of water and hydrogen fluoride (H 2 O:HF) solution for 3 minutes. However, a wafer made of sapphire does not undergo any deoxidation processes, since sapphire itself, being made of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), is an oxide. 
     Next, if the wafer has GaAs or Si substrates, the wafer is mechanically treated to initiate surface roughness in order to catalyze three-dimensional (3D) GaAs island growth (step  102 ). However, the nanoneedle growth on sapphire substrates is spontaneous across the entire surface of the wafer, and does not require the mechanical roughening process. 
     Next, the wafer onto which the nanoneedles  10  are to be grown is loaded into the MOCVD reactor after deoxidation (step  104 ). The wafer is then annealed at 600° C. for 3 minutes (step  106 ). When the wafer cools to within a temperature range of 380° C.-420° C., the growth of the nanoneedles  10  may begin (step  108 ). A hydrogen carrier gas and a precursor species are passed over the hot wafer spinning at 1400 rpm, at a pressure of 76 torr. The hot wafer causes the precursor materials to react on the wafer surface, resulting in controlled growth of the nanoneedles. Two group III and V sources used for GaAs growth are triethylgallium (TEGa) and tertiarybutylarsine (TBA), which have relatively low decomposition temperatures of 300° C. and 380° C., respectively. These low decomposition temperatures allow for the low growth temperatures, which favor a 3D growth mode rather than typical MOCVD thin film growths at much higher temperatures that range near 600° C. Aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) nanoneedle heterostructures, as well as bulk InGaAs nanoneedles, can be grown by adding trimethylaluminum (TMAl) and trimethylindium (TMIn). The nanoneedle growth proceeds via a conformal deposition of the metal-organic precursor material, with a higher growth rate along a c-axis tip of each of the nanoneedles  10  (step  110 ). The growth is linear, with the radius and c-axis growth rates being around 5 nm per minute and around 67 nm per minute, respectively. The growth process for the nanoneedles  10  is ended after a predetermined time that is based upon the growth rates and a desired size for the nanoneedles  10  (step  112 ). The nanoneedles  10  typically align to the &lt;111&gt; crystal directions on GaAs and Si. When growth of the nanoneedles  10  is conducted on GaAs having &lt;111&gt; surfaces and Si substrates having &lt;111&gt; surfaces, the nanoneedles  10  will typically grow perpendicular to the substrate surface. The nanoneedles  10  have a constant taper angle of 6-9° during growth. 
     A core and a shell of each of nanoneedles  10  may be made of gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) using sources that include trimethylaluminum (TMAl), triethylgallium (TEGa) and tertiarybutylarsine (TBA). Further still, a core and a shell of each of nanoneedles  10  may be made of indium gallium aluminum arsenide (InGaAlAs) using sources that include trimethylindium (TMIn), trimethylaluminum (TMAl), triethylgallium (TEGa) and tertiarybutylarsine (TBA). 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-section diagram of a GaAs nanoneedle  14  according to the present disclosure. The GaAs nanoneedle  14  includes a core  16  made of Silicon-doped Gallium Arsenide (Si—GaAs (n − )) that has been grown on a substrate  18  made of n-type Si (n-Si). Nominally, the GaAs nanoneedle  14  has a core radius (r) of 250 nm and a height (h) of 4 μm. The Si—GaAs (n − ) core  16  in encased by a p-shell  20  made of Zinc-doped Gallium Arsenide (Zn—GaAs (p + )), which forms a p-shell/n-core junction. The nominal shell thickness (th) of p-shell  20  is on the order of 50 nm. 
     The core  16  of the GaAs nanoneedle  14  is lightly Si-doped, having an n-type dopant density that is less than or equal to 10 16 /cm 3 . In contrast, the p-shell  20  is heavily Zn-doped, having a p-type dopant density that is greater than or equal to 5*10 17 /cm 3 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-section diagram of a structure for a p-n GaAs nanoneedle-based photodetector device  22  according to the present disclosure. In particular, the photodetector device  22  is a nanoneedle avalanche photodiode (APD) grown on Si. The photodetector device  22  includes a core  24  made of Si-doped Gallium Arsenide (Si—GaAs (n − )) that has been grown on a substrate  26  made of n-type Si (n-Si). A shell section  28  made of Zn—GaAs (p + ) forms a p-layer/n-core junction. Similar to the nanoneedles  10  ( FIG. 1 ), the core  24  is in the form of a substantially hexagonal pyramid. The shell section  28  is a remaining portion of the p-shell  20  ( FIG. 3 ) that has been partially etched away in a process that is detailed below. The shell section  28  preferably covers the top four-fifths of three contiguous sides of the core  24 . The photodetector device  22  also includes an insulating layer such as a spin-on-glass layer  30  on top of the substrate  26 . The insulating layer may also be made of benzocyclobutene (BCB). Preferably, the spin-on-glass layer  30  surrounds a lower portion of the core  24  and has a thickness that extends up to the lower extents of the shell section  28 . A top metal contact  32  layer covers the shell section  28  and the spin-on-glass layer  30 . The top metal contact  32  does not cover an exposed portion  34  of the core  24 . A bottom metal contact  36  covers the substrate  26 . 
     The photodetector device  22  is fabricated using standard lithography and a metallization process.  FIG. 5  depicts a flow chart for a process for fabricating the photodetector device  22  ( FIG. 4 ) from the GaAs nanoneedle  14  ( FIG. 3 ), which is used as a base form. The process for fabricating the photodetector device  22  preferably begins by depositing a thin titanium/gold (Ti/Au) film (˜5/15 nm) onto a top portion of three contiguous sides of the p-shell  20  (step  200 ). Since only the top portions of three of the six sides making up the p-shell  20  are coated with the thin Ti/Au film, an angled electron beam (e-beam) evaporation method is the preferred method for the thin Ti/Au film deposition. The e-beam evaporation method is favored, due to its anisotropic deposition mode and its finer film deposition control. The Ti/Au film forms an etching mask to protect the p-type shell section  28  ( FIG. 4 ). Next, a Zn—GaAs(p + ) portion making up the lower portion of the p-shell  20  and the three sides of the core  16  without the Ti/Au etching mask is removed by etching (step  202 ). During this point in the process, the exposed portion  34  ( FIG. 4 ) of the core  24  is realized. 
     Next, the spin-on-glass layer  30  ( FIG. 4 ) is applied as a coating that is on the order of 2 μm thick to cover areas surrounding of the core  24  ( FIG. 4 ) (step  204 ). The spin-on-glass layer  30  provides a template for the top metal contact  32  ( FIG. 4 ). A thicker Ti/Au film (˜10/120 nm) is deposited onto the spin-on-glass layer  30  and onto the thin metal etching mask covering the shell section  28  to form the top metal contact  32  (step  206 ). The exposed portion  34  of the core  24  is intentionally left uncoated to allow the absorption of photons. The bottom metal contact  36  ( FIG. 4 ) is fabricated by depositing a relatively thick metal film (˜300 nm) on a back side of the substrate  26  (step  208 ). The photodetector device  22  can be a cooperative one of a plurality of like photodetectors. In that case, it is preferable for the top metal contact  32  to be electrically connected to the top metal contacts of 30 to 50 other photodetectors that are fabricated on the same substrate  26 . 
     The photodetector device  22  ( FIG. 4 ) operates much like a traditional avalanche photodiode, which is an ultrasensitive type of light detector. However, unlike traditional avalanche photodiodes, which require a high external bias voltage to create a high electric field to amplify a number of electron-hole pairs formed upon photon absorption, the photodetector device  22  has an atomic arrangement that inherently forms a high electric field within the core  24  from the top metal contact  32  to the substrate  26 . In operation of the photodetector device  22 , the top metal contact  32  undergoes plasmonic oscillations that provide enhancement of electromagnetic radiation. Unique to the nanoneedle geometry of the photodetector device  22 , a relatively large inherent electric field along the nanoneedle growth direction is attained which enables efficient sweeping of photo-generated carriers towards the contacts across the p-n junction. Also due to the unique geometry, a large avalanche gain is achieved with a small reverse bias. A very large current gain of 265 with 8 V reverse bias at room temperature may be achieved. Device characteristics of the photodetector device  22  are measured at room temperature. A linear photocurrent to irradiance response may be observed under a reasonable reverse bias voltage of 1 V. 
     Because the top contact of the device is deposited at an angle, a triangular “shadow” of missing metal extends out from the base of the core  24 . Light impinging upon the shadow will excite a channel plasmon polariton mode, which can then propagate from the top surface of the metal, down through the shadow, and to the other surface. In this way, the shadow acts as a V-groove plasmon waveguide, with sub-diffraction confinement of the electric field and corresponding enhancement of intensity. The electric field of the mode penetrates the core  24 , which is sitting in the “core” of the V-groove plasmon waveguide, and generates electron-hole pairs as it propagates. Thus, the shadow effectively increases the photon capture cross-section of the core  24 . Additionally, localized surface plasmons (LSPs) are generated by the edges of the shadow and sharp features of the nanoneedle geometry of photodetector device  22 . These LSPs may also excite channel polaritons within the shadow, creating additional enhancement of the photon capture cross-section. 
     Yet, another enhancement of the electric field is due to a lightning rod like effect created by the approximate curvature of the p-n junction between the shell section  28  and the core  24  of photodetector device  22 . For example, for a nanoneedle with an approximated radius of curvature of −300 nm, a depletion junction width is in the order of −1 μm. As a result, a radius to depletion width ratio is only 0.3. A radius of depletion of 0.3 will create an electric field enhancement. 
     Device characteristics are carried out at room temperature.  FIG. 6  shows the I-V characteristics of a pure p-nanoneedle-on-p-Si sample with a linear I-V dependence indicating that excellent ohmic contacts are obtained. 
       FIG. 7  shows an external quantum efficiency (QE) and a current multiplication factor lower bound (M LB , obtained by assuming internal quantum efficiency equal to one) as a function of bias voltage with a 2 nd  order polynomial fit shown in dashed line. The illumination was a 532 nm laser with 0.26 W/cm 2  irradiance. The M LB  voltage dependence is substantially superlinear, in sharp contrast to the exponential dependence of conventional avalanche photodiodes (APDs). Furthermore, the gain is appreciable at very low voltages, reaching 29 at −2 V. Because power dissipation is the product of photocurrent and bias voltage, this reduction is vital for densely integrated devices where power and thermal budget are at a premium. At −8 V bias, the gain is as high as ˜265. This amount of gain is exceedingly large compared to a state-of-the-art planar Ge/Si APD which has a gain of ˜14 at −24 V, and a planar InGaAs/Si APD which has a gain of 100 at −24 V. The corresponding dark and the light I-V characteristics for photodetector device  22  are shown as the inset. 
       FIG. 8  shows the photocurrent versus irradiance for various wavelengths for a device biased at −10 V. A linear dependence is observed at all wavelengths over the irradiance range tested, indicating device operation in the linear regime. This linear dependence attests the high quality of the photodetector device  22 , which is usable in demanding analog applications. 
     The external quantum efficiency for the photodetector device  22  may be estimated based on the irradiance, the photocurrent, and the size of the nanoneedle  14  that the photodetector device  22  is based upon. Experiments have shown that the external quantum efficiency for the photodetector device  22  is significantly greater than 100% at reverse bias voltages larger than 1 V. 
     As described above, the photodetector device  22  is based upon the nanoneedle  14  ( FIG. 3 ), which has a GaAs p-n junction. The nanoneedle  14  is monolithically grown on a Si substrate with a CMOS-compatible growth temperature of around 400° C. Preferably, the Si substrate has a &lt;111&gt; surface. A linear response of the photocurrent to the irradiance can be obtained when the reverse bias voltage applied to the photodetector device  22  is at least −1 V. The photodetector device  22  may be operated at room temperature. Moreover, a monolithic heterogeneous III-V to Si integration with CMOS compatibility may enable important applications such as on- or off-chip optical interconnects. 
     Further still, the photodetector device  22  ( FIG. 4 ) may also be operated in reverse to convert voltage into photons. The composition of the core  24  ( FIG. 4 ) and the shell section  28  ( FIG. 4 ) or any additional new layers in between may be selected during fabrication of the photodetector device  22  to tune to specific wavelengths of light for emission or detection. The structure of the photodetector device  22  may also be adapted to become a laser diode. 
       FIG. 9  depicts a highly efficient solar cell  38  comprising a plurality of nanoneedle devices  40  having p-n junctions that are configured to source a photo-generated current to a load (not shown). The nanoneedle devices  40  are attached to a substrate  42 . An insulation layer  44  applied to on top of the substrate  42  surrounds a lower portion of each of the nanoneedle devices  40 . A top metallization layer  46  deposited over the insulation layer  44  electrically couples the nanoneedle devices  40  together. A bottom metallization layer  48  is deposited onto a bottom side of the substrate  42 . As light radiation falls upon the nanoneedle devices  40 , a potential difference develops between the top metallization layer  46  and the bottom metallization layer  48  due to an electron-hole separation inside each of the nanoneedle devices  40 . 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate a wide range of nanoneedle tapers.  FIG. 10  depicts an ultra-sharp nanoneedle  50  that has been grown on a substrate  52 . The nanoneedle  50  has a taper angle θ of 1°.  FIG. 11  depicts a broadly tapered nanoneedle  54  that has been grown on a substrate  56 . The nanoneedle  54  has a taper angle θ of 30°. Nanoneedles having taper angles between and including 1° and 30° are usable as base nanostructures for the fabrication of photodetector devices similar to the photodetector device  22  ( FIG. 4 ). 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  shows other embodiments of nanostructures that are in accordance with the present disclosure. In particular,  FIG. 12  depicts a nanopillar  58  that has been grown on a substrate  60 , while  FIG. 13  depicts a nanopillar  62  that has been grown on a substrate  64 . Both, the nanopillar  58  and the nanopillar  62  are usable as base nanostructures for the fabrication of photodevices similar to the photodetector device  22 . However, the nanopillar device  62  is hollow after having a core etched away. As a result, the nanopillar device  62  is also usable as a base nanostructure for the fabrication of devices for opto-fluidic applications. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

Technology Category: h