Low-noise, high-detectivity, polarization-sensitive, room-temperature infrared photodetectors based on Ge quantum dot-decorated Si-on-insulator nanowire field-effect transistors

Abstract A CMOS-compatible infrared (IR; 1200–1700 nm) detector based on Ge quantum dots (QDs) decorated on a single Si-nanowire channel on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform with a superior detectivity at room temperature is presented. The spectral response of a single nanowire device measured in a back-gated field-effect transistor geometry displays a very high value of peak detectivity ∼9.33 × 10 11 Jones at ∼1500 nm with a relatively low dark current (∼20 pA), which is attributed to the fully depleted Si nanowire channel on SOI substrates. The noise power spectrum of the devices exhibits a 1 / f γ , with the exponent, γ showing two different values of 0.9 and 1.8 owing to mobility fluctuations and generation-recombination of carriers, respectively. Ge QD-decorated nanowire devices exhibit a novel polarization anisotropy with a remarkably high photoconductive gain of ∼10 4 . The superior performance of a Ge QDs/Si nanowire phototransistor in IR wavelengths is potentially attractive to integrate electro-optical devices into Si for on-chip optical communications.