Objective
The objective of this proposal is to develop novel AlGaN UV detectors specifically tuned for the detection of the solar UV-B band, and that will be practically blind (insensitive) to the solar UV-A, visible and infrared radiation. The proposed W detectors will show radiation resistance properties (degradation) surpassing all present semiconductor photosensors. These novel photodetectors can be used:
a) in its broadband mode, to produce a signal proportional to the total irradiance received (W/cm2) in the whole UV-B band (320nm-280nm), plus the irradiance in the UV-C band; or
b) with proper interferential filter or monochromator illumination, to perform UV spectroscopy measurements from 320nm to a wavelength of 280nm, at least.
Two types of AlGaN photodetectors will be investigated and fabricated.
- Type A refers to photo conductive detectors, a simple device that will showa large internal gain, and designed for low speed (ms to seconds) UV -Bmeasurements.
- Type B devices will be AlGaN P-N junction photo detectors, with no internal gain and a much faster response (+/-ms), aiming for fast time-dependent monitorisation applications.
For type A detectors the responsivity should be better than 100 A/W at 280nm, and for type B devices (photodiodes), their internal quantum efficiency should be better than 80% at 280nm (R>0.20A/W). The photo detectors will show a good dynamic range (>103) centered at 0.5mW/cm2.
The proposed novel UV -B detectors are devices based on AlxGalxN semiconductor alloys. In these alloys, by varying the Al mole fraction, the band gap varies between 3.4eV and 6.2eV. Thus, for optimum detection of the solar UV -B radiation (and UV -C), the detector should be sensitive to photon wavelengths from 320nm (3.87eV) down to the 280nm region (UV B band), and to even shorter wavelengths for the residual UV -C radiation. To develop such specific AlGaN semiconductor material, an Al mole fraction of about 0.2 is needed, and thus Alo2Ga08N layers have to be grown. These novel structures will be grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) technologies. Sapphire and Si substrates will be used.
The GaN/AlGaN family of semiconductors offers unique properties regarding their optical properties (direct gap material), chemical bond strength, their capability of withstand high temperatures and high voltages, to be inert to most chemical etchings, to be very stable under high energy photons, and to be radiation resistant.
To further prove the advantages of the proposed AlGaN detectors, near the end of the project, a complete broadband UV -B monitorisation system, which will use the optimised proposed detectors, will also be developed.
The duration of this project is 2 years, and a total of 108 person.months effort (9 person.year) is contemplated.
The partners that form the consortium in this proposal are: Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, CNRS-Valbonne (Centre de Recherche sur l'Heteroepitaxy et ses Applications) and Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.
Present proposal is motivated by the fact that two of the partners belong to the consortium carrying out the ESPRIT Long Term Research Project 20968, LAQUANI (Laser Quality GaN layers). The LAQUANI project aims to develop GaN/InGaN P-N junctions, and finally, a blue injection laser has to be demonstrated.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy absorption spectroscopy
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics semiconductivity
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Coordinator
28040 MADRID
Spain
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