Channeling photodiode: A new versatile interdigitated p-n junction photodetector

We report on the operation of the first channeling photodetector. This device can be operated as an ultrahigh sensitivity photocapacitive detector; large capacitance variations (≂1 pF) have been induced by very low power levels (≂20 pW). In addition this structure may be used as a low punch through voltage pin photodiode with an ultralow capacitance (≂0.06 pF) largely independent of the detector area and of the doping level of the layers. Finally this device represents the first step towards the implementation of the recently disclosed low noise avalanche photodiode with separated electron and hole avalanche regions.