Deep-level engineering in aluminum nitride (AlN) enables reliable photodetection in extreme conditions
Abstract
Semiconductor photodetectors are conventionally optimized for sensing weak optical signals, and they typically saturate at low-to-moderate light intensity. Here, we demonstrate AlN photodetectors that exhibit non-saturating linear response to ultra-bright, sub-bandgap light exceeding 40 W/cm2 (over 400 Suns). The photodetector further shows undistorted linear response at elevated temperature, up to at least 300 ∘ C. This exceptional performance originates from photoresponse mediated by point defects with energy levels deep in the bandgap (deep levels) at the metal-AlN Schottky junction. Through dopant design and contact engineering, we demonstrate that a narrow space-charge region is essential for enabling ultra-bright light detection and accurate measurement. These results establish a strategy for engineering ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor devices for reliable operation in extreme conditions to meet emerging needs in industrial process control, thermal and nuclear power generation, and aeronautics and spaceflight.
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BibTeX
@misc{dong2026deeplevel,
title = {{Deep-level engineering in aluminum nitride (AlN) enables reliable photodetection in extreme conditions}},
author = {Jiahao Dong and Zhenjing Liu and Sara Tulchinsky and Rafael Jaramillo},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2606.07807},
eprint = {2606.07807},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.07807},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Deep-level engineering in aluminum nitride (AlN) enables reliable photodetection in extreme conditions
AU - Jiahao Dong
AU - Zhenjing Liu
AU - Sara Tulchinsky
AU - Rafael Jaramillo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2606.07807
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.07807
AB - Semiconductor photodetectors are conventionally optimized for sensing weak optical signals, and they typically saturate at low-to-moderate light intensity. Here, we demonstrate AlN photodetectors that exhibit non-saturating linear response to ultra-bright, sub-bandgap light exceeding 40 W/cm^2 (over 400 Suns). The photodetector further shows undistorted linear response at elevated temperature, up to at least 300 ^∘ C. This exceptional performance originates from photoresponse mediated by point defects with energy levels deep in the bandgap (deep levels) at the metal-AlN Schottky junction. Through dopant design and contact engineering, we demonstrate that a narrow space-charge region is essential for enabling ultra-bright light detection and accurate measurement. These results establish a strategy for engineering ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor devices for reliable operation in extreme conditions to meet emerging needs in industrial process control, thermal and nuclear power generation, and aeronautics and spaceflight.
ER -