β-SiC Photodiodes Prepared on Silicon Substrates by Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

β-SiC photodiodes were fabricated on Si substrates by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD). Experimental results show that the developed photodiodes have a peak photoresponsivity at 575 nm which corresponds to the visible light between yellow and green. These photodiodes display a low dark current of about 10 nA and 5 µ A at reverse biases of 1 V and 10 V, respectively, and have an optical gain of about 97 under an incident light power of 5 µ W and a reverse bias of 14.5 V. Dark-current levels versus reverse bias have also been measured as a function of temperature, and the results indicate that these diodes can operate at elevated temperatures above 200° C. Thus β-SiC is a candidate for optoelectronic devices on Si substrates in applications, where low cost, silicon compatibility, and high-temperature operation are the prime considerations.