AlN-based vacuum ultraviolet Schottky barrier photodetector

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photodetectors are essential for applications in space science, semiconductor lithography, and life science. In this study, we present what we believe to be a novel AlN-based VUV Pt-AlN Schottky barrier photodetector fabricated on a sapphire substrate. This device comprises an i-AlN/n-AlGaN layer structure and ingeniously utilizes an n-AlGaN layer and metal to establish an ohmic contact, addressing the challenge of n-type doping in AlN. Experimental results demonstrate a peak response of 0.06A/W at 194 nm under 0 V bias and clear rectification characteristics. The specific detectivity D* is 4.8 × 1012cm · Hz0.5 · W−1 at 0V bias for the device, indicating the device’s excellent detection performance. The realization of this device opens up possibilities for developing chip-level integrated detectors suitable for VUV detection.