High performance solar blind detectors based on AlGaN grown by MBE and MOCVD

Solar blind detectors based on AlGaN grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy have been fabricated and characterized. Metal Semiconductor Metal (MSM) detectors and vertical Schottky detectors have been realized, with a design that allows back side illumination. The growth was optimized in order to improve the layer quality, avoid crack fort-nation, and provide the best detector performance. The technological process was also optimized in order to reduce the dark currents and improve the spectral rejection ratio, which is a key factor for solar blind detection. As a result, a rejection ratio of 5 decades between the UV (below 300 nm) and 400 rim, and a steep cut off limited by alloy fluctuations have been obtained. A noise equivalent power below 10 fW is obtained in MSM detectors.