Design and Simulated Electrical Properties of a Proposed Implanted-Epi Silicon 3D-Spherical Electrode Detector

Abstract

A new type of 3D electrode detector, named here as the Implanted-Epi Silicon 3D-Spherical Electrode Detector, is proposed in this work. Epitaxial and ion implantation processes can be used in this new detector, allowing bowl-shaped electrodes to penetrate the silicon completely. The distance between the bowl cathode and the central collection electrode is basically the same, thus the total depletion voltage of Implanted-Epi Silicon 3D-Spherical Electrode Detectors is no longer directively correlated with the thickness of the silicon wafer, but only related to the electrode spacing. In this work, we model the device physics of this new structure and use a simulation program to conduct a systematic 3D simulation of its electrical characteristics, including electric potential and electric field distributions, electron concentration profile, leakage current, and capacitance, and compare it to the traditional 3D detectors. The theoretical and simulation study found that the internal electric potential of the new detector was smooth and no potential saddle point was found. The electric field is also uniform, and there is no zero field and a low electric field area. Compared with the traditional silicon 3D electrode detectors, the full depletion voltage is greatly reduced and the charge collection efficiency is improved. As a large electrode spacing (up to 500 μm) can be realized in the Implanted-Epi Silicon 3D-Spherical Electrode Detector thanks to their advantage of a greatly reduced full depletion voltage, detectors with large pixel cells (and thus small dead volume) can be developed for applications in photon science (X-ray, among others).

Editorial for the Special Issue on Physics in Micro/Nano Devices: From Fundamental to Application

“…Cai et al proposed a new type of 3D electrode detector, named the Implanted Epi Silicon 3D Spherical Electrode Detector. Compared with the traditional silicon 3D electrode detectors, the full depletion voltage was greatly reduced, which showed high potential in photon science [ 10 ]. Zheng et al designed an electrically inspired flexible electrochemical film power supply for long-term epidermal sensors for the first time, which can periodically provide electrical power for several hours after a short-time electrical activation and the electrical activation can be enabled by an integrated small film lithium-ion battery, which extends the service life of a lithium-ion battery 10-fold and suggests the application of small lithium-ion batteries for long-term epidermal sensors [ 11 ].…”