Profiled silicon photodetector for improved blue color and visible wavelength quantum efficiency

A silicon profiled ion implanted n
⁺
- n
^-
- p photodetector structure was developed for improved quantum efficiency in the visible spectrum. This device offers a significantly improved blue color response and it is compatible with CCD and MOSFET technologies. Experimental results show that the new device offers a quantum efficiency of more than 80% at 4000Å wavelength relative to the less than 1% quantum efficiency which a conventional n
⁺
-p silicon photodiode offers at the same wavelength. In addition, the present new device offers a flat quantum efficiency of more than 80% in the entire visible spectrum (3800Å<λ<8000Å). Also, this device can be used as an efficient solar cell.