Optothermotronic effect as an ultrasensitive thermal sensing technology for solid-state electronics

Dinh, Toan; Nguyen, Tuan-Hung; Foisal, Abu Riduan Md; Phan, Hoang‐Phuong; Nguyen, Nam‐Trung; Dao, Dzung Viet

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aay2671

Cited by 21 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…The injection of holes into 3C-SiC also created a diffusion of these carriers to neighboring regions with lower hole concentration, resulting in a nonequilibrium condition. The Fermi level E f splits into two quasi-Fermi level, , hence the Femi-level in 3C-SiC was bent from electrode L to electrode R as shown in Figure -a. The Femi-levels in 3C-SiC ( E f,3C–SiC ) at the two electrodes are given by , where T is the temperature; k B is the Boltzmann constant (8.617 × 10 –5 eV.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light-Harvesting Self-Powered Monolithic-Structure Temperature Sensing Based on 3C-SiC/Si Heterostructure

Nguyen

Dinh

Bell

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Utilizing harvesting energy to power sensors has been becoming more critical in the current age of the Internet of Things. In this paper, we propose a novel technology using a monolithic 3C-SiC/Si heterostructure to harvest photon energy to power itself and simultaneously sense the surrounding temperature. The 3C-SiC/Si heterostructure converts photon energy into electrical energy, which is manifested as a lateral photovoltage across the top material layer of the heterostructure. Simultaneously, the lateral photovoltage varies with the surrounding temperature, and this photovoltage variation with temperature is used to monitor the temperature. We characterized the thermoresistive properties of the 3C-SiC/Si heterostructure, evaluated its energy conversion, and investigated its performance as a light-harvesting self-powered temperature sensor. The resistance of the heterostructure gradually drops with increasing temperature with a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) ranging from more than −3500 to approximately −8200 ppm/K. The generated lateral photovoltage is as high as 58.8 mV under 12 700 lx light illumination at 25 °C. The sensitivity of the sensor in the self-power mode is as high as 360 μV·K–1 and 330 μV·K–1 under illumination of 12 700 lx and 7400 lx lights, respectively. The sensor harvests photon energy to power itself and measure temperatures as high as 300 °C, which is impressive for semiconductor-based sensor. The proposed technology opens new avenues for energy harvesting self-powered temperature sensors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light-Harvesting Self-Powered Monolithic-Structure Temperature Sensing Based on 3C-SiC/Si Heterostructure

Nguyen

Dinh

Bell

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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“…However, there have been very limited reports on the effect of the temperature gradient on the photovoltaic effect of the SiC/Si heterostructure. Recent studies have shown the huge potential of the SiC/Si heterostructure for numerous sensing applications and devices such as photodetector, strain sensor, temperature sensor, position detector, and gas sensor . Due to the robustness of the SiC coating layer, the SiC/Si heterostructure-based sensors can work effectively in severe conditions. , Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the sensing mechanism that governs the thermo-phototronic effect in the SiC/Si heterostructure will push forward its big potential as a microsensor for high-performance sensing systems as well as niche applications such as high operating temperatures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Photovoltaic Effect in n-3C-SiC/p-Si Heterostructure Using a Temperature Gradient for Microsensors

Nguyen,

Nguyen

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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The development of fifth-generation (5G) communications and the Internet of Things (IoT) has created a need for high-performance sensing networks and sensors. Improving the sensitivity and reducing the energy consumption of these sensors can improve the performance of the sensing network and conserve energy. This paper reports a large enhancement of the photovoltaic effect in a 3C-SiC/Si heterostructure and the tunability of the photovoltage under the impact of a temperature gradient, which has the potential to increase the sensitivity and reduce the energy consumption of microsensors. To start with, cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) was grown on a silicon wafer, and a micro-3C-SiC/Si heterostructure device was then fabricated using standard photolithography. The result revealed that the sensor could either capture light energy, transform it into electrical energy for self-power purposes, or detect light with intensities of 1.6 and 4 mW/cm2. Under the impact of the temperature gradient induced by conduction heat transfer from a heater, the measured photovoltage was improved. This thermo-phototronic coupling enhanced the photovoltage up to 51% at a temperature gradient of 8.73 K and light intensity of 4 mW/cm2. Additionally, the enhancement can be tuned by controlling the direction of the temperature gradient and the temperature difference. These findings indicate the promise of the temperature gradient in SiC/Si heterostructures for developing high-performance temperature sensors and self-powered photodetectors.

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“…However, the high cost and small size of SiC wafers (e.g., 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC wafer) restrict the development of commercially available SiC devices. To overcome this limitation, cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC), which can be grown on widely available Si wafers at a low cost, is receiving attention from researchers with numerous reports on 3C-SiC/Si heterostructure devices such as pressure sensors, strain sensors, and photodetectors. − However, the potential of 3C-SiC/Si heterojunctions as a PSD has not been fully explored. To the best of our knowledge, only PSDs based on p-type 3C-SiC have been previously reported. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrasensitive Self-Powered Position-Sensitive Detector Based on n-3C-SiC/p-Si Heterojunctions

Nguyen

Foisal

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Electron. Mater.

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Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) on silicon (Si) is an excellent platform for developing sensors that can function in a harsh environment due to its superior mechanical, electrical, chemical, optoelectronic properties and low wafer cost. Here, we report a position-sensitive detector (PSD) based on the heterojunction formed between n-type SiC and p-type Si. The PSD utilizes the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) with a linear dependence of LPE on laser spot positions. The position sensitivity is found to be 554.82 mV/mm at zero bias conditions under an illumination of 200 μW (637 nm), which is among the most sensitive LPE-based PSDs to date. The generation of the lateral photovoltage (LPV) under light illumination is investigated by examining the band diagram of the 3C-SiC/Si heterojunction. The influence of the illumination intensity and wavelength on the position sensitivity is also explained. This work demonstrates a potential application for ultrasensitive, self-powered optoelectronic sensing of the n-3C-SiC/p-Si platform.

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Optothermotronic effect as an ultrasensitive thermal sensing technology for solid-state electronics

Cited by 21 publications

References 35 publications

Light-Harvesting Self-Powered Monolithic-Structure Temperature Sensing Based on 3C-SiC/Si Heterostructure

Light-Harvesting Self-Powered Monolithic-Structure Temperature Sensing Based on 3C-SiC/Si Heterostructure

Enhanced Photovoltaic Effect in n-3C-SiC/p-Si Heterostructure Using a Temperature Gradient for Microsensors

Ultrasensitive Self-Powered Position-Sensitive Detector Based on n-3C-SiC/p-Si Heterojunctions

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