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Diffractive coupling and plasmon-enhanced photocurrent generation in silicon

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Abstract

Arrays of metal nanoparticles are considered candidates for improved light-coupling into silicon. In periodic arrays the coherent diffractive coupling of particles can have a large impact on the resonant properties of the particles. We have investigated the photocurrent enhancement properties of Al nanoparticles placed on top of a silicon diode in periodic as well as in random arrays. The photocurrent of the periodic array sample is enhanced relative to that of the random array due to the presence of a Fano-like resonance not observed for the random array. Measurements of the photocurrent as a function of angle, reveal that the Fano-like enhancement is caused by diffractive coupling in the periodic array, which is accordingly identified as an important design parameter for plasmon-enhanced light-coupling into silicon.

© 2013 Optical Society of America

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Figures (7)

Fig. 1
Fig. 1 Plane view SEM images of the (a) periodic and (b) random arrays of nanoparticles. A slight narrowing of the particles with increasing height can be observed in the tilted SEM images shown in the insets.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2 External quantum efficiency measured at normal incidence for the periodic array (blue solid lines), the random array (red dashed lines), as well as for the reference sample (black dash-dotted lines).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3 Photocurrent enhancement, or gain, relative to the reference sample measured at normal incidence for the periodic array (blue solid lines) and the random array (red dashed lines). The gain measured for the periodic array relative to the reference sample at an 8° angle of incidence is also shown (dash-dotted magenta lines). The two arrows indicate the calculated spectral position of resonances in a single Al nanodisk.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4 Measured reflectance at an 8° angle of incidence for the periodic array (blue solid lines), the random array (red dashed lines), as well as for the reference sample (black dash-dotted lines).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5 Measured photocurrent for the periodic array relative to the photocurrent measured for the random array at different angles of incidence.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6 FDTD calculations of the normal incidence reflectance (top panel) and the total power that is coupled into the Si substrate (bottom panel) at normal incidence illumination for periodic arrays with different pitch (p) values as well as for the reference sample. The pitch values are given in nm.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7 FDTD calculated scattering cross section of a single Al nanodisk (height 115 nm, diameter 155 nm) placed on a 40 nm thick SiO2 film on top of a Si substrate. The scattering cross section has been normalized to the geometric area of the nanodisk. The central wavelength of the observed peaks are marked by two arrows, which correspond to the arrows shown in Fig. 3.

Equations (1)

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( n 2 λ 0 ) 2 ( n 1 λ 0 ) 2 sin 2 θ 2 n 1 λ 0 sin θ ( n p cos ϕ + m p sin ϕ ) = n 2 + m 2 p 2
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