Design, processing and operation of a large area pin diode radiation detector

Silicon pin diode is designed for operation as a radiation detector. The detector can operate in photovoltaic as well as photoconductive mode with AC or DC coupling. The structure is equipped with a special spiral junction termination structure to prevent surface leakage currents entering active device region and improve breakdown properties of the device. Optimized low temperature processing steps have been used in order to reduce the leakage current of the diode. Coupling capacitors are monolithically integrated on the detector enabling an AC coupling mode. Best processing results have been achieved with surface oxide passivation grown in wet atmosphere and covered with additional nitride layer in conjunction with extrinsic gettering on the backside of the wafer.