Full Simulation Study of UV Photodetectors Based on Pn Junctions in Silicon Carbide

This paper deals with optical and electrical simulations of 4H-SiC UV-Photodetectors based on pn junctions. The simulations are performed under the UV light, with wavelengths varying between 200 urn and 300 am. Under reverse bias, the simulation results point out the influence of surface patterns on the current density. The studied structures of the patterns consist in a semicircle with or without a flat surface. The patterned surfaces are parametrized according to the semicircle radius R and the flat surface length L. We show that the optical absorption strongly depends on these parameters, giving a maximum value whatever the wavelength with R = 100 am and L = 0 nm (no flat surface). However, to optimise the carrier harvest, it is important for the space charge region to be situated in a zone where the optical generation is high. This study shows that the photodetector current density increases within three orders of magnitude (from 9x10(-14) A.cm(-2) to 3x10(-1) A.cm(-2)), by using the specific surface pattern given above.