Fabrication and characterization of Porous silicon for UV detection
Ahmed Shehab Ahmed
Abstract

In this research; nanostructure porous silicon nPSi and p-type PSi was prepared by using photoelectrochemical and electrochemical etching of n-type and p-type Si of resistivity (10 Ω.cm) in Hydrofluoric of 24% content at current density 10mA/cm2. The active nPSi layer was prepared by using ordinary light with a fixed power density of 100 mW/cm2 and variable etching time of (8,10, 12,15,20 min.). Rapid thermal oxidation was conducted at an oxidation temperature of 750oC, and different oxidation times (50,90sec.). The morphological characteristics of the nPSi and p-type PSi layer through analysing the SEM images showed that rapid thermal process will change the nature of the layer from nPSi and p-type PSi to partially oxidized PSi layers. Porosity layer of p-type PSi has increased with increasing etching time and it was varied with changing the condition. Under rapid thermal treatments, the thickness increased. The PL measurements showed that the increase in energy gap of PSi layer. The rapid thermal process improve the energy gap of the PSi layer toward the blue shifting. EDX has studied the ratio of the element deposit on the Psi and it has been used to study the Au nanoparticle deposit on the PSi layers . The electrical properties of prepared nPSi and p-type PSi UV detector; namely current density-voltage characteristics under dark, showed the rectification ratio was increased from 1.59 to 46 after adding AuNPs. Rapid thermal treatments improved the photocurrent of the nPSi and p-type detector; especially at oxidation time 50 second. Minimum dark current density of 0.016 µA/cm2 was obtained from p-type PSi UV detector when prepared with electrochemical etching 15 min. etching time and 50 second oxidation time and after adding Au nanoparticle. Measurements of spectral responsivity of the fabricated nPSi UV detector under preparation of white light showed a maximum peak value of 0.205 A/W in the UV range at 365 nm .Responsivity has been improved further and reached 0.205 A/W after adding Au nanoparticle. Finally, this work illustrates that the application of white light and electrochemical etching in process and rapid thermal process and with adding Au nanoparticle can give an nPSi and p-type PSi UV detector.