Pt/AlGaN Schottky-Type UV Photodetector with 310nm Cutoff Wavelength

Pt/AlGaN Schottky-type UV photodetectors were designed and fabricated. A low-temperature AlGaN interlayer buffer was grown between the AlGaN and GaN film in the diode structure epitaxy to obtain crack-free AlGaN active layers. A comparison was then made of the structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of two different diodes: one with an AlGaN($0.5\;{\mu}m$)/n+-GaN(2 nm) structure (type 1) and the other with an AlGaN($0.5\;{\mu}m$)/AlGaN interlayer($150\;{\AA}$)/n+-GaN($3\;{\mu}m$) structure(type 2). A crack-free AlGaN film was obtained by the insertion of a low-temperature AlGaN interlayer with an aluminum mole fraction of 26% into the $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ layer. The fabricated Pt/$Al_{0.33}Ga_{0.67}N$ photodetector had a leakage current of 1 nA for the type 1 diode and $0.1\;{\mu}A$ for the type 2 diode at a reverse bias of -5 V. For the photoresponse measurement, the type 2 diode exhibited a cut-off wavelength of 300 nm, prominent responsivity of 0.15 A/W at 280 nm, and UV-visible extinction ratio of $1.5{\times}10^4$. Accordingly, the Pt/$Al_{0.33}Ga_{0.67}N$ Schottky-type ultraviolet photodetector with an AlGaN interlayer exhibited superior electrical and optical characteristics and improved UV detecting properties.