Submicron-Gap High-Mobility Silicon Picosecond Photodetectors

摘要

High-speed photoconductive switching in silicon is achieved, without a reduction in mobility or lifetime, by carrier sweep-out. Using photoconductive gaps ranging in width from 14 to 0.22 micron, we have studied the variation of switching speed with gap dimension and applied voltage. With submicron gaps and optical energies of less than 1 nJ, we have been able to switch pulse of more than 1 V with durations as short as 27 ps full width at half-maximum.