Tuning Amorphous Selenium Composition with Tellurium to Improve Quantum Efficiency at Long Wavelengths and High Applied Fields

Abstract

Amorphous selenium (a-Se) is a large-area compatible photoconductor that has received significant attention toward the development of UV and X-ray detectors for a wide range of applications in medical imaging, life science, high-energy physics, and nuclear radiation detection. A subset of applications require detection of photons with spectral coverage from UV to infrared wavelengths. In this work, we present a systematic study utilizing density functional theory simulations and experimental studies to investigate optical and electrical properties of a-Se alloyed with tellurium (Te). We report hole and electron mobilities and conversion efficiencies for a-Se1-xTex(x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.08) devices as a function of applied field, along with band gaps and comparisons to previous studies. For the first time, these values are reported at high electric field (>10 V/μm), demonstrating recovery of quantum efficiency in Se-Te alloys. A comparison to the Onsager model for a-Se demonstrates the strong field dependence in the thermalization length and expands on the role of defect states in device performance.