Reduction of leakage current of large-area high-resistivity silicon p-i-n photodiodes for detection at 1.06 µm

An experimental study has been carried out to reduce the leakage current of large-area (>2.5 cm²) high-resistivity (p-type, 8000 to 15 000 Ω . cm) fully depleted silicon p-i-n photodiodes. A new process technology, using low temperature oxidation and utilizing complete implantation doping, has been successfully developed. This process reproducibly gives photodiodes with generation-limited leakage current. The lowest level of leakage current achieved is in the order of 1 µA/cm³per unit depletion volume at 200-V reverse bias.