A $\alpha $ -Si:H Thin-Film Phototransistor for a Near-Infrared Touch Sensor

Abstract

This letter presents a highly sensitive near-infrared (IR) <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -Si:H phototransistor for touch sensor applications. The narrow bandgap of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -Si exhibits a wideband spectrum response from IR to ultraviolet region, where the IR bandpass filter layers allow the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -Si:H phototransistor to respond to the selective IR light uninterrupted by visible light. The time-resolved photoresponse and transfer <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I$ </tex-math></inline-formula> – <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V$ </tex-math></inline-formula> characteristics for the near-IR <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -Si:H phototransistor as a function of power at 785-nm illumination allow the observation of fast photoresponse ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\tau \sim 0.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ps), high external quantum efficiency (7.52), and high photoresponse. A prototype unit pixel structure for touch sensors composed of amorphous Si-based switching/amplification/near-IR phototransistors and a storage capacitor, is proposed and designed. The overall results suggest that the near-IR <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -Si:H phototransistor offers unique possibilities for user-friendly, low-cost, and large-area touch sensors, especially aimed at consumer applications and other areas of optoelectronics.