Robust UV/VUV/EUV PureB Photodiode Detector Technology With High CMOS Compatibility

This paper gives an assessment of old and new data relevant to the optical and electrical performance of PureB photodiodes for application in the wavelength range 2 nm to 400 nm. The PureB layer, fabricated by depositing pure boron on Si, forms the anode region of devices that function as p⁺n junction diodes. The results show that the high sensitivity and high stability of the PureB diodes is related to the integrity of the interface with the Si. When measures are taken to retain a complete PureB coverage, thermal processing steps with minute long exposure to temperatures up to 900 °C do not compromise the robustness and a lower-than-ideal but still high responsivity is maintained. Besides the thermal processing considerations, other aspects that impact the integration of PureB in CMOS are reviewed.