Schottky Barrier Infra-Red Sensors Sensitive to Radiation of Quantum Energy Higher Than the Potential Barrier Height

Abstract

The technology to obtain a silicide Pt/Ir mixture and Pt/Ir–Si photosensitive structures with a Schottky barrier in the middle IR area is developed. It is found that the main way to detect Pt/IrSi–р–Si structures is through the photoemission of Pt/IrSi holes into silicon. Moreover, the maximal photosensitivity is observed when the Pt/IrSi is not thicker than the free path length of the holes (less than 460 Å). The energy band diagram of the Schottky barrier structures based on the Pt/IrSi–Si contact is plotted. It is determined that the electron affinity of Pt/IrSi varies within 4.7–5.26 eV depending on the operational conditions of its formation.