Crystal growth and simulation of In0.1Al0.9N/p-Si photodetector devices

Abstract In 0.1 Al 0.9 N is a preferred semiconducting compound in the field of photodetection applications, since it has a direct bandgap, which could be controlled by adjusting the percentages of Al and In metals. Here, In 0.1 Al 0.9 N is prepared by a simple and low-cost crystal growth methodology on a p-Si substrate. Structural analyses are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Crystallite size, dislocation density, and micro–strain values are calculated according to the three models: Debye–Scherrer, Williamson–Hall (W–H), and Strain Distribution (SD), and their values are compared to each other. The values of optical transitions and energy gap of the fabricated devices are investigated using UV–Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence techniques. The responsivity and the cut-off wavelength of the fabricated devices are determined using photoresponsivity measurements. A simulation study of the fabricated device is performed to investigate the matching between the simulated data using COMSOL Multiphysics software and the experimentally obtained data. The fabricated device, In 0.1 Al 0.9 N/p-silicon, has a great opportunity to be utilized in photodetection applications.