Pinpi'n and Pinpii'n Multilayer Devices with Voltage Controlled Optical Readout

In this paper we present results on the optimization of a pinpii'n type a-Si:H based three color detector with voltage controlled spectral sensitivity. The sensor element consists on a glass/ITO/p-i-n a-SiC:H multilayer structure which faces the incident illumination, followed by a-SiC:H(-p)/a-SiC:H(-i)/Si:H(-i')/SiC:H(-n)/ITO heterostructure, that allows the optically addressed readout. Results show that this approach leads to regionally different collection parameters resulting in multispectral photodiodes, coding for red (R), blue (B), and two green (G) components. In the polychromatic operation mode different sensitivity ranges are selected by switching between different biases so that the basic colors can be resolved with a single device. Positive bias is needed under blue irradiation and moderate reverse bias under green. The threshold voltage between green and red sensitivity depends on the thickness of the bottom a-SiC:H (-i) layer, and corresponds to the complete confinement of the absorbed green photons across the pinpi sequence. As the thickness of the a-Si:H i'-layer increases, the self-reverse effect due to the front absorption will be balanced by the decrease of the self-forward effect due to the back absorption shifting the threshold voltage to lower reverse bias. The various design parameters are discussed and supported by a numerical simulation.