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A Three-Dimensional Computer Model for Simulation of Light-Trapping Effects in Porous Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Peter T. Charbel  and
Jim P. Zheng
Peter T. Charbel
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering Florida A&MUniversity and Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 32310
Jim P. Zheng
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering Florida A&MUniversity and Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 32310
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Abstract

It has been demonstrated that porous silicon can be used to enhance the sensitivity, spectral bandwidth, and light acceptance angle of photodiodes. In an attempt to better understand light trapping effects in porous silicon, a three-dimensional model was used to approximate the surface geometry of porous silicon. It was found that the main contributing factor to the observed high efficiencies is the shape of the pores. The general shape resembles cylindrical shaped sections, whose radii are in the micron range. The results of the computer simulation were compared to actual experimental results where porous silicon was tested under variable conditions of lighting and porosity. The comparison shows that the simulation gives a good approximation of the behavior of porous silicon. Although the simulation does not perfectly match experimental values, it does provide the insight that the surface geometry of porous silicon is the main contributing factor to its efficiency in trapping light.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 579: Symposium B – The Optical Properties of Materials , 1999 , 287
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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