Single-crystalline silicon quantum well embedded in SiO2 thin layer for broadband photodetection and energy harvesting

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2023-11, Vol.129 (11), Article 782
• Main Authors: Aouassa, Mansour, Bouabdellaoui, Mohammed, Yahyaoui, Makram, Ettaghzouti, Thouraya, Kallel, Tarak, Althobaiti, Ibrahim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Broadband; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Crystal defects; Energy harvesting; Heat treatment; High resolution electron microscopy; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; MIS (semiconductors); Nanocrystals; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optoelectronic devices; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectric emission; Photometers; Photovoltaic cells; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Quantum wells; Silicon; Silicon dioxide; Single crystals; Solar cells; Spectroellipsometry; Spectrum analysis; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-023-07066-2

In recent years, silicon nanocrystals embedded in insulator thin layers have attracted much interest for developing metal–insulator–semiconductor optoelectronic devices, but crystalline silicon quantum wells not yet developed because of the difficulty of making a crystalline quantum well-embedded in an amorphous dielectric layer. In this work, we report an original method for the fabrication of single-crystalline silicon quantum wells embedded in an SiO 2 thin layer for high-performance photodetectors and solar cell applications. The fabrication method is based on thermal treatment of ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator (UT-SOI) fabricated via smart-cut. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry structural investigations show that the silicon quantum well-embedded in the SiO 2 layer is single-crystalline, free of structural defects, and has a uniform thickness perfectly suitable for optoelectronic applications. Opto-electrical studies using current–voltage spectroscopy (I–V) and photocurrent spectroscopy show that silicon quantum wells inserted into a metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS)-based device improve electrical transport and increase very high photocurrent more efficiently than silicon nanocrystals. The results obtained show that these single-crystalline silicon quantum wells embedded in SiO 2 are very promising for developing high-performance silicon photodetectors and solar cells compatible with CMOS technology.