Radiation damage resistance of AlGaN detectors for applications in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range

Rev Sci Instrum. 2009 Sep;80(9):093102. doi: 10.1063/1.3212666.

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) Schottky-photodiode-based detectors. AlGaN layers were grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on Si(111) wafers. The diodes were characterized at a wavelength of 13.5 nm using a table-top extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, consisting of a laser-produced xenon plasma and a Schwarzschild objective. The responsivity of the diodes was tested between EUV energies ranging from 320 nJ down to several picojoules. For low fluences, a linear responsivity of 7.14 mAs/J could be determined. Saturation starts at approximately 1 nJ, merging into a linear response of 0.113 mAs/J, which could be attributed to the photoeffect on the Au electrodes on top of the diode. Furthermore, degradation tests were performed up to an absolute dose of 3.3x10(19) photons/cm(2). AlGaN photodiodes were compared to commercially available silicon-based photodetectors. For AlGaN diodes, responsivity does not change even for the highest EUV dose, whereas the response of the Si diode decreases linearly to approximately 93% after 2x10(19) photons/cm(2).