Reference Number: 07-20
Inventors: Rajendra P. Dahal; Talal Al Tahtamouni; Jingyu Lin; Hongxing Jiang
Background:
Research at Kansas State University (KSU) has produced a new method for fabricating hybrid photodetectors such as deep UV and extreme UV photodetectors. III-nitride materials have extraordinary physical properties such as wide tunable bandgap, high temperature stability, resistant to harsh environment, high mechanical strength and chemical inertness. On the other side, SiC, Si and GaAS are well-established semiconductors with excellent conductivities (both n- and p- type). Therefore, hybrid photodetectors based on III-nitride and SiC, Si and GaAS have excellent characteristics such as low dark current, high breakdown voltage, high detectivity and high responsivity. This method is based on metal-semiconductor-metal Schottky and p-i-n structures that are grown on different substrates.
The performance of UV detectors has steadily improved over the last decade in many respects. Nevertheless, current state-of-the-art photodetectors designed for UV are based on silicon (Si) semiconductors and exhibit major drawbacks that are difficult to overcome within silicon technology. KSU’s wide bandgap UV photodetector does not suffer from the same weaknesses as the Si based photodetectors. The cutoff wavelength of these photodetectors can be tuned from 350 nm down to 200 nm.
Industrial Applications
Patent Status
Kansas State University Research Foundation seeks to have discussions with companies that are interested in licensing and/or research collaborations.
Interested parties should contact:
National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and
Commercialization (NISTAC)
2005 Research Park Circle Manhattan, KS 66502
Tel: 785-532-3900 Fax: 785-532-3909
E-Mail: nistac@ksu.edu