MIMIM photodetectors using plasmonically enhanced MIM absorbers

Abstract

We demonstrate super absorbing metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stacks and MIMIM photosensitive devices operating at visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR) spectrum, where absorbing (top) MIM and photocollecting (bottom) MIM can be optimized separately. We investigate different bottom metals in absorbing MIM with nanoparticles realized by dewetting of silver thin film on top. While gold and silver have conventionally been considered the most appropriate plasmonic absorbers, we demonstrate different absorbing metals like aluminum and specifically chromium, with its plasma frequency happening at 850 nm, as more efficient layers for absorption. Absorption in chromium hits 82 percent around 1000 nm. We provide convincing evidences by doing reflection experiment and computational simulations for absorbing MIM part. We also suggest for the first time investigating electric loss tangent of metal or coherently, surface plasmon quality factor of absorbing metals which are reliable tools for engineering different metal layers. They reveal that despite the fact that gold and silver are good plasmonic scatterers in VIS-NIR and reliable absorbers in VIS region, they are not proper choices as absorbers for NIR applications. Once the most optimum absorbing design is pointed out, we integrate it on top of another metal-insulator to form an MIMIM photodetector with tunneling photocurrent path. The final optimized sample consisting of silver - hafnium oxide - chromium - aluminum oxide - silver nanoparticles (from bottom to top) has a dark current of 7nA and a photoresponsivity peak of 0.962 mA/W at 1000 nm and a full width at half maximum of 300 nm, while applied bias is 50 mV and device areas are 300 μm x 600 μm. This photoresponse shows 70 times enhancement compared to former reported spin coated rare nanoparticle MIMIMs.