Manufacturing Developments for Silicon Photodiodes

Grant applications are sought to research ways to create manufacturable designs that produce photodiodes with very low noise (1.3x10-13 W/Hz1/2) for a 200 mm2 active area with leakage current below 30 nA at full depletion voltage of 120V [2]. Research to attain these attributes could include techniques to grow and produce high-purity semiconductor materials, in order to achieve high breakdown voltage and low dark current noise. Research could also explore attaining similar functionality using tuned optical antennas [3, 4], which may have potential for supplanting photodiodes in space applications. A successful proposal will include proof-of-concept and may suggest alternative applications.