Black silicon for near-infrared and ultraviolet photodetection: A review

Abstract

As a typical representative of micro/nano-textured silicon, black silicon has excellent light absorption properties and is gradually surfacing as a substitute for standard silicon in photoelectric devices. Black silicon overcomes the limitations of traditional silicon-based devices, which are unable to achieve infrared light detection at wavelengths >1100 nm and have low quantum efficiency and sensitivity in ultraviolet light detection. In this article, the recent theoretical and experimental breakthroughs in near-infrared and ultraviolet detection using black silicon are summarized in detail. First, black silicon and the techniques for its fabrication are introduced. Then, the application of enhanced black silicon photodetectors within or above the bandgap limit and black silicon fabricated using different methods in infrared detection is discussed. In principle, infrared detection using black silicon is achieved by jointly utilizing element doping, localized surface plasmon resonance effect, and heterojunction formation. In addition, the application of black silicon in ultraviolet detection is also introduced. Ultraviolet detection is realized by an induced junction and the self-built electric field between black silicon and aluminum oxide. Finally, the increasingly growing potential of black silicon in near-infrared and ultraviolet detection applications, such as infrared night vision imaging, signal detection, ultraviolet light intensity monitoring, and national defense early warning, is further discussed.