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Spectral sensitivity of graded composition AlGaAs/GaAs nanowire photodetectors

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Abstract

A photodetection model for AlGaAs/GaAs nanowire photodetectors with graded composition is developed based on the numerical solution of coupled Poisson and continuity equations. Photocurrents and spectral sensitivities of nanowire photodetectors have been simulated as a function of Al content range, the wavelength of the incident light, the length of the nanowire, and contact types. The results demonstrate Ohmic–Schottky devices have the highest sensitivities among the four types of nanowire devices, which can be attributed to the strong built-in electric field induced by the graded composition and the dominant unidirectional built-in electric field due to the Schottky barrier. Schottky–Schottky devices show the lowest sensitivities due to the additional blocking effect of the Schottky barrier. The optimum nanowire length in which an Ohmic–Schottky structured nanowire photodetector can achieve maximum sensitivity is 7.4 μm for a nanowire with a linearly graded Al content range of 0–0.4 (x Al = 0.4). The optimum nanowire lengths for Ohmic–Ohmic (x Al = 0.3), Schottky–Schottky (x Al = 0.1), and Schottky–Ohmic (x Al = 0.0) nanowire devices are 6.5, 3.5, and 11 μm, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61261009, 61661002), the Foundation of Training Academic and Technical Leaders for Main Majors of Jiangxi Province, China (Grant No. 20142BCB22006), the Key Program of Science and Technology Research of Ministry of Education, China (Grant No. 212090), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province, China (Grant No. 20133ACB20005), and the Fundamental Science on Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Laboratory, East China University of Technology, China (Grant No. NRE1414). We thank Ding Gong for simulation assistance.

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  1. Engineering Research Center of New Energy Technology of Jiangxi Province, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Jijun Zou, Wenjun Zhao, Xiaojun Ding, Zhifu Zhu, Wenjuan Deng & Weilu Wang

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  1. Jijun Zou
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  2. Wenjun Zhao
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Correspondence to Jijun Zou.

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Zou, J., Zhao, W., Ding, X. et al. Spectral sensitivity of graded composition AlGaAs/GaAs nanowire photodetectors. Appl. Phys. A 122, 1003 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-0532-7

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