Irradiation stability of silicon photodiodes for extreme-ultraviolet radiation

Photodiodes are used as easy-to-operate detectors in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range. At the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt photodiodes are calibrated with an uncertainty of spectral responsivity of 0.3% or less. Stable photodiodes are a prerequisite for the dissemination of these high-accuracy calibrations to customers. Silicon photodiodes with different top layers were exposed to intense extreme-ultraviolet irradiation. Diodes coated with diamondlike carbon or TiSiN proved to be stable within a few percent up to a radiant exposure of 100 kJ/cm2. The changes in responsivity could be explained as being due to carbon contamination and to changes in the internal charge collection efficiency. In ultrahigh vacuum, no indication of oxidation was found.