GaN metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with low-temperature-GaN cap layers and ITO metal contacts

Nitride-based metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors (PDs) with low-temperature (LT) gallium nitride (GaN) cap layers and indium-tin-oxide (1TO) metal contacts were successfully fabricated. It was found that we could achieve three orders of magnitude smaller dark current by the introduction of the LT-GaN layer. For the PDs with LT-GaN cap layers, the maximum responsivity at 350 nm was found to be 0.1 and 0.9 A/W when the device was biased at 1 and 5 V, respectively. Operation speed of PDs with LT-GaN cap layers was also found to be faster than that of conventional PDs without LT-GaN cap layers.