Interface-controlled broadband photodetection in Si3N4/n-Si hybrid devices
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Electrical Engineering and Energy Technology, School of Technology and Innovations, University of Vaasa, Wolffintie 32, 65200, Vaasa, Finland. [email protected]
- 2Department of Physics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hitit University, 19030, Corum, Turkey. [email protected]
- 3Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Hitit University, 19030, Corum, Turkey
- 4Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Selcuk University, 42130, Konya, Turkey
- 5Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Selcuk University, 42130, Konya, Turkey. [email protected]
Abstract
In this study, Si 3 N 4 /n-Si hybrid photodiodes with distinct interfacial layer configurations (Si 3 N 4 -1, Si 3 N 4 -2, and Si 3 N 4 -3) were constructed and comprehensively examined to evaluate the influence of interface engineering on their optical performance. Measurements of current–voltage (I–V) under dark and illuminated settings show that the ideality factor (n) declines with increasing illumination intensity. However, the barrier height (Φ B ) shows structure-dependent variation, indicating enhanced carrier transport and interface modulation. To assess device performance under varying light intensities, responsivity (R), photosensitivity (K), noise specific detectivity (D*) and equivalent power (NEP) were determined. The Si 3 N 4 -3/n-Si structure had the highest photosensitivity, while the Si 3 N 4 -2/n-Si device showed superior overall performance with enhanced responsivity, higher detectivity, and lower NEP, indicating an optimal balance between photocarrier generation and transport. Spectral investigation confirmed a broadband response with higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the UV–Vis-NIR region. The linear relationship between log(I ph ) and log(P) features indicates a dominating photoconduction mechanism impacted by trap states within the mobility gap. The results show that precisely controlling the Si 3 N 4 interfacial layer improves photodiode performance by minimizing recombination losses and improving carrier dynamics. These findings show that Si 3 N 4 -based interface engineering is a promising method for producing high-performance, broadband silicon photodetectors for advanced optoelectronic applications.
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BibTeX
@article{manfo2026interfacecontrolled,
title = {{Interface-controlled broadband photodetection in Si3N4/n-Si hybrid devices}},
author = {Theodore Azemtsop Manfo and Dilber Esra Yıldız and Cengiz Bağcı and Ali Akbar Hussaini and Murat Yıldırım},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-57951-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-57951-y},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interface-controlled broadband photodetection in Si3N4/n-Si hybrid devices
AU - Theodore Azemtsop Manfo
AU - Dilber Esra Yıldız
AU - Cengiz Bağcı
AU - Ali Akbar Hussaini
AU - Murat Yıldırım
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/16
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-57951-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-57951-y
AB - In this study, Si 3 N 4 /n-Si hybrid photodiodes with distinct interfacial layer configurations (Si 3 N 4 -1, Si 3 N 4 -2, and Si 3 N 4 -3) were constructed and comprehensively examined to evaluate the influence of interface engineering on their optical performance. Measurements of current–voltage (I–V) under dark and illuminated settings show that the ideality factor (n) declines with increasing illumination intensity. However, the barrier height (Φ B ) shows structure-dependent variation, indicating enhanced carrier transport and interface modulation. To assess device performance under varying light intensities, responsivity (R), photosensitivity (K), noise specific detectivity (D*) and equivalent power (NEP) were determined. The Si 3 N 4 -3/n-Si structure had the highest photosensitivity, while the Si 3 N 4 -2/n-Si device showed superior overall performance with enhanced responsivity, higher detectivity, and lower NEP, indicating an optimal balance between photocarrier generation and transport. Spectral investigation confirmed a broadband response with higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the UV–Vis-NIR region. The linear relationship between log(I ph ) and log(P) features indicates a dominating photoconduction mechanism impacted by trap states within the mobility gap. The results show that precisely controlling the Si 3 N 4 interfacial layer improves photodiode performance by minimizing recombination losses and improving carrier dynamics. These findings show that Si 3 N 4 -based interface engineering is a promising method for producing high-performance, broadband silicon photodetectors for advanced optoelectronic applications.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -