Miniaturized field-deployable spectrometers used for the rapid analysis of chemical and
biological substances require high-sensitivity photo detectors. For example, in a Raman
spectroscopy system, the receiver must be capable of high-gain, low-noise detection performance
due to the intrinsically weak signals produced by the Raman effects of most substances. We are
developing a novel, high-gain hetero-junction phototransistor (HPT) detector which employs two
nano-structures simultaneously to achieve 100 times higher sensitivity than InGaAs avalanche
photodiodes, the most sensitive commercially available photo-detector in the near infrared (NIR)
wavelength range, under their normal operation conditions. Integrated into a detector array, this
technology has application for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), pollution
monitoring, pharmaceutical manufacturing by reaction monitoring, chemical & biological
transportation safety, and bio-chemical analysis in planetary exploration.
Patrick Gardner, Jie Yao, Sean Wang, Jack Zhou, Ken Li, Irina Mokina, Michael Lange, Weiguo Yang, Leora Peltz, Robert Frampton, Jeffrey Hunt, Jill Becker
KEYWORDS: Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Chemical analysis, Sensors, Avalanche photodiodes, Near infrared, Signal to noise ratio, Phototransistors, Receivers, Signal detection
Miniaturized field-deployable spectrometers used for the rapid analysis of chemical and biological substances
require high-sensitivity photo detectors. For example, in a Raman spectroscopy system, the receiver must be
capable of high-gain, low-noise detection performance due to the intrinsically weak signals produced by the Raman
effects of most substances. We are developing a novel, high-gain hetero-junction phototransistor (HPT) detector
which employs two nano-structures simultaneously to achieve 100 times higher sensitivity than InGaAs avalanche
photodiodes, the most sensitive commercially available photo-detector in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength range,
under their normal operation conditions. Integrated into a detector array, this technology has application for Laser-
Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), pollution monitoring, pharmaceutical manufacturing by reaction
monitoring, chemical & biological transportation safety, and bio-chemical analysis in planetary exploration.
Miniaturized field-deployable spectrometers used for rapid analysis of chemical and biological substances require high-sensitivity photo detectors. For example, in a Raman spectroscopy system, the receiver must be capable of high-gain, low-noise detection performance due to the intrinsically weak signals produced by the Raman effects of most substances. We are developing a novel, high-gain hetero-junction phototransistor (HPT) detector which employs two nano-structures simultaneously: a 3-30 nm passivation layer that enables micron-sized devices, large-scale integration and low-cost products; and a 50-65 nm amplification layer that offers high sensitivity with 1,000x amplification and zero avalanche access noise. We report preliminary tests on single pixels, validating the design target of >1,000 Ampere/Watt responsivity at the near infrared wavelength of 1550nm, which is 100 times more sensitive than InGaAs avalanche photodiodes, the most sensitive commercially available photo-detector in this wavelength range, under their normal operation conditions. Integrated into a detector array, this technology has application for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), pollution monitoring, pharmaceutical manufacturing by reaction monitoring, chemical & biological transportation safety, and bio-chemical analysis in planetary exploration.
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